


Divided, We Fall

by Radiate_the_Darkness



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Band References, Character changes, Danvid, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Hurt, I'm Sorry, Jen - Freeform, Jen and Daniel interactions, M/M, Song references, like they're frenemies, or is it development idfk, probably no sequel, the pain comes later, umm should i do gwenjen?, what if Daniel never drank the Kool Aid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-16
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2018-12-30 09:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 33,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12105369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Radiate_the_Darkness/pseuds/Radiate_the_Darkness
Summary: What if Daniel never drank the poisoned Kool Aid? What if he actually finished the song number with David? The cultist is still standing when Jen, newly hired camp counselor, enters the scene. Two cultists who've shared history are now united, but it isn't exactly the happiest reunion. What would become of the red head who keeps following Daniel around? Will he soften up for him? More so when he learns David's been hiding a devious secret.Will David manage to break the chains that held Daniel back? Or will it be the other way around?





	1. Take Over, The Break's Over

**Author's Note:**

> Idfk what I've been doing with my life, but THIS has certainly took over it. I've just finished Camp Camp and it was the best decision of my life. Soooo, I was originally planning to make this fic one long story but.. I just couldn't help it, you know? I'm sorry for any mistakes along the way. This is sort of like, an exercise for me to start writing again. And I am liking it.  
> *cough* Also, chapter titles will be band song references. Forgive me omo
> 
> Oh. And Jen needs some love and attention too.

After finishing their little song number, David slumps on the floor with his guitar on his lap. He’s quite exhausted from that amazing duet he and Daniel had! The other man was standing above him with a malicious grin. David nervously smiled back. _Wow, he’s good with the fiddle_ , David thinks. _But I can do better with my guitar_ , he smiles at the approaching blonde.

“Any last words, David?” Daniel’s grin widens and he looks down upon the brunette. David thinks it’s a little bit ominous the way he said it. But it doesn’t matter. He won’t let Daniel take over _his_ camp. He makes a move to stand up until a second later, the space in front of him is occupied by light blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Daniel’s fiddle seems to be discarded and he held something else in his hand. He had this thing against his throat and David can’t see it. It was cold and metallic. But he felt a dreadful feeling crawl up his spine.

“Now, let me make this clear.” Daniel doesn’t hesitate to get closer to David. _A little too close_ , he thinks. He gets a little uncomfortable and tries to back away.

The other boy chuckled. “Oh, you won’t be going anywhere,” David backs up into something sturdy and hard. Seeing that the camp counselor had backed up into a tree, Daniel takes a moment to laugh.

“You know, in all my life, I’ve never met a camp counselor as dumb and naïve as you. It’s quite entertaining but gosh darn, does it get in my nerves. Do you even understand what’s happening? What I did?” Daniel moved his arm and pierced the tree behind David with the knife–of course it was a knife. It became obvious when he heard the thunk of metal on a wooden surface–he held in his hand. David frowned, hurt evident in his features.

“Now, that’s not a nice thing to say,” he mumbled and watched as Daniel stared at him for a second. The other camp counselor craned his neck and sighed in disappointment.

“Honestly, David. You make me laugh,” said the blonde, slowly grinning again in that way that sent shivers up David’s spine. _Is that a good thing?_ David wonders for a split second before his thoughts were interrupted by the boy in front of him. Daniel got up and hid the blade from his sight. He watched the blonde devil walk up to the table where the other campers were standing behind. David slowly got up on his feet and stared in curiosity.

David’s mind wandered as his stare traveled lower on the white-clad camp counselor. He choked a bit and caught himself checking the other counselor out at the wrong time. Daniel looked back momentarily and continued with whatever he was doing. David was too busy looking down at the floor in embarrassment that when he heard the rustling of clothes, Daniel was already standing in front of him.

“Eep!” David yelped at the sudden appearance. The blonde rolled his eyes. Daniel was holding a red plastic cup with purple liquid inside when he approached.

“It would be such a shame if our beloved camp counselor didn’t share a drink with us. What would this celebration be all for?” Daniel stuck out his bottom lip in a pout that David found quite cute. He blushed as the blonde approached. _What in heaven’s name am I thinking? Get yourself together, Davey!_ He scolds himself.

“It’s… a special concoction the kids and I made. It truly brought all of us campers together to work on it. Oh, the smiles on their faces! I guess you can say we made it with love.” The blonde man snickered. David felt a warm tingle in his chest. He smiled so huge that he felt his cheeks hurt.

“Awwww, Danny! You shouldn’t have! That’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard. I could never get these kids to work on something together and it’s so difficult. I can’t believe you actually got them working side by side,” David wiped a stray tear from his face in happiness. Maybe he was wrong to think of Daniel as a rival. He was a great camp counselor and united the entire camp. He hoped Cameron Campbell would still let him work alongside Daniel. 

Meanwhile, Daniel grimaced at the newfound nickname the brunette gave him. David didn’t put much thought into it. It just slipped out of his mouth, is all. Daniel stepped closer to him and his finger pushed the cup upwards to his lips.

“Enough of this blabbering. Don’t you think all that singing we did dehydrated you? Cause I sure am parched. But I’d like to tend to your needs first.” Daniel cocks his head to the side and smiled at the boy. David thinks his smile is charming and is compelled to bring Daniel a drink too. Forgetting the events that happened with the knife and the ominous threats, he smiles back.  

“Well, if you say so, good friend! I trust that you made this punch taste real good. Must be part of your expertise,” he joked.

“You have no idea how much of an expert I am at… certain things.” Daniel chuckled almost menacingly. David chuckles along nervously. _What’s with all this spooky act he’s putting up? Seriously, Daniel’s starting to kinda scare me_ , David admits in his head. Just as he was bringing the plastic cup to his lips, a car pulled up and he heard a familiar voice. Gwen!

“David! Fire that fucking weirdo ‘cause I found us our new camp counselor. Jen!”

Both of his and Daniel’s attention swing to the other girl who got out of the car. David felt an urge to laugh at how she seemed similar to Gwen but with lighter hair and clothes. Oh wait...

“I’m really into fashion and trashy magazines,”

The girl who looked like Gwen was holding a teen magazine. When it flipped open, there were a bunch of red doodles on the page. It had quite a dramatic representation of death and torture. From beside him, Danie's breath hitched. The white-clad camp counselor stalked towards Jen.

"What in heaven's name are you doing here?" There was a terrifying edge in his voice as he looked at the newcomer. David had an inkling that the two of them knew each other. _Awww, they must be from the same camp!_ He thought sympathetically. Didn't Daniel say their camp shut down? He left to let the two of them catch up.

"Hey Gwen!"

"David, what did that asshole do to this camp? Why is everyone wearing white?" Gwen approached him. Huh, he didn't notice that before. David shrugged and Gwen didn't bother asking him any further.

 

* * *

 

**Daniel**

"Didn't I leave you to die in that wretched place?" Daniel whispered murderously to his old friend, Jen. "Zeemog must be kind to you," he muttered. During their days in his previous camp, he was able to help Jen ascend. At first, she refused aggressively but she soon relented. That's what everyone did. They'll come to realize soon that there's something bigger out there. Daniel can help them reach it. And if they didn't want to, well, he could always offer them up as sacrifice for the Greater One.

Jen became a huge help to him when he planned the demise of the children in the camp. Together, they were an unstoppable force. He just didn't approve of Jen's way of persuading them. It was too messy and she spilt blood all over the place. He'd prefer to do it in a much more civilized and neat way. Putting poison in their drinks and let death claim them as his own. He’d also stab them to secure the sacrifice. Leave no one behind, or so they say. His partner... isn't quite satisfied with his method. And that irked Daniel.

"You must think me weak if you expected that much," she said, keeping up the facade with a smile, but her eyes were glaring daggers at him.

"Nooo, never! I just didn't think you'd be capable of.. resisting the horrors you've endured."

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, Daniel, but you can't overcome me that easily," Jen looked around the camp and her gaze settled on the campers, still hypnotized to do his bidding. All it took was one word. One word to end them all.

"Still doing it the easy way, huh? Daniel, you have lots to learn. The blood lust will come sooner than you think,” she leered. “Stop with this childish act. I’ll show you how it’s really done.” Jen looked at him expectantly. A minute passed by where both cultists shared a heated stare-down before the tension disappeared. _How could I ever doubt Jen?_ Daniel chuckled. It was always nice to play her game. And with that, he approached the campers once more, uttered specific dehypnotizing phrases taught to him by the cult, and stepped back to survey his work.

He added a little _oomf_ to it. He made sure none of the kids remembered his true intentions when he revealed them to David. Speaking of which, he looked back at the red-headed counselor. He was still talking with the co-counselor. Gwen, was it? He shook his head and chuckled. _What a pathetic thing. He’s gullible too_. He saved that info for later.

“Well, I'm looking forward to working with you again, Danny! Cheers to our everlasting friendship," Jen clapped him on the back. She bade farewell as she headed towards the mess hall. Gwen hollered and followed after her, insisting she show her around.

“Ugh, what happened?” one of the campers groaned. The kid with the yellow turtleneck. Ahh, yes, Neil.

“I feel woozy. It’s like something crawled down my throat and died.” The girl with green hair held a hand to her forehead. Nikki. See, Daniel’s getting a hang of their names, especially the boy who dared spoil his plans. Daniel cocked his head to the side. Max was a peculiar one. He went into that chamber willingly. And to what? To prove a point? To whom? Daniel looked back at David, who was already walking towards him. _Oh shit_.

“Daniel! I am so sorry for Gwen’s attitude. She didn’t mean it! I’d never fire you,” the camp counselor laughed. Wait, what? After all that? No, he can’t be that stupid, can he? Daniel mused.

“It’s no worries, friend! All is forgiven,” he gave a nudge at their situation, but that didn’t dispel the strange light in David’s eyes. “Unless you’d want me to leave?” Daniel added. Immediately, David’s eyes turned to shock.

“Why, I’d never ask you to leave! I just said so a second ago. Daniel, whatever feud we had a while ago, that should be put aside. All this camp needs is a helping hand and we’ll get all the hands we can get!” he smiled. _So much enthusiasm in this guy_ , Daniel thought. Maybe he can steer it towards another path. Could he persuade David to ascend just as he?

“I’m glad you think so too,” he winked at him and turned back to the kids. He probably imagined the blush that formed on the brunette’s face. Well, he gets flustered so easily.

“I suggest you put those cups down and throw the Kool Aid away. It’s not healthy for you, you know.” Daniel announced to the campers. Some were half-way through drinking it, some were looking at it curiously.

“But I’m thirsty!” The kid with the space helmet whined.

“I said, down. Now,” he emphasized, grinning all the while. The kids slowly did as they were told, terrified of him. Space Kid still held the cup, looking at it with longing. Max slapped it out of his hand and he yelped. “Great! We can get you guys some water inside,” he smiled. From behind him, David clapped his hands together and cooed.

“Awww, you care about their health so much! Gosh, I never thought to watch their sugar intake. I’m so careless,”

“Luckily, I’m here to help. Now come, let’s prepare them late lunch and talk about the activities we can prepare for them,” he walked back inside with Daniel in tow. He's going to have to find ways to take over this camp. Now with Jen in the picture, he's either going to have to work with her or against her. 


	2. There's A Good Reason These Chapters Are References, Honey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who've commented and gave kudos <3 I really appreciate it. It gives me some motivation to keep writing. I actually wrote Daniel's part while I was in school and got to finish it. I was super hyped and even got to start on chapter 3! Oh, um, this chapter won't be anything serious. Same goes for maybe later chapters. It's going to be pretty light. I'm not used to writing fanfictions with heavy plots *cries*
> 
> EDIT: OH MY GOD I just gave Neil glasses ._. let me just edit that out xD

The campers were all in the mess hall, eating the lunch prepared for them by their trusted camp counselor. At least, David thinks they trust him. He prepared the food by himself sadly, since Gwen was busy showing Jen around and Daniel decided to tag along. David frowned. Was the guy avoiding him now? Just because he sang better doesn’t mean he had to be all down in the dumps. He giggled. Okay, he knows that wasn’t actually the reason why. There was some sort of rivalry going on between them and maybe, just maybe, Daniel wasn’t all too happy about it. Admittedly, he thinks Daniel had a pretty _damn_ great voice, pardon his language _. I mean, I wouldn’t mind going another round with him_ , David thought, smiling all the while.

 _In fact, maybe I could trick him into singing with me again! Maybe we can duet in camp fire songs?_ Oh, David was really excited for that one.

The red head heads into the hall where he sees Max talking to his friends and neglecting his food. Tsk tsk, David frowned. He approached the trio and seeing Nikki’s enthusiastic wave to him, Max slouches back.

“Maaax, what did I tell you about playing with your food?” he chided him. The boy gave him a glare and a very... inappropriate gesture with his fingers. Nikki guffawed, tidbits of food flying everywhere. David grimaced in displeasure. Then Max sighed and put down his hand.

“Sorry, David. I just don’t feel good. I feel like I’m missing something here. It doesn’t feel right with me,” he admitted.

“Awww, maybe you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed,” David suggested. He kneeled down and patted Max’s head in an attempt to comfort him. Max knocked his hand away as always.

“Yeah, right. Max always wakes up in the wrong side of the bed,” Neil snickered. Nikki laughed too. Before David could chide them for it, Max beats him to it with a punch to Neil’s face. The boy fell back.

“Max!”

“What? He saw that coming,”

“If I did, I would've dodged out of the way,” Neil groaned from the ground. "A warning next time?"

Nikki was still laughing when David helped the other boy up _. Boy, this is going to be a tough day,_ David internally sighed. _But we can work it out_. He dusted Neil off and left the trio alone.

The camp counselor left the mess hall and stepped outside. He took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh air. Even if the campers weren’t making his job any easier, he always appreciated the environment surrounding them. He especially liked going deep into the forest to meditate sometimes. The ambiance wasn’t like any other place in camp. It was quiet and he let the silence drown him. Sometimes, he’d hear echoes of a bird chirping or a squirrel scampering up a tree. It brought a smile to his lips.

“Yeah, that’s about it. We kinda lack on equipment and the campers might be brats and all, but man, sometimes the scenery can just be breath-taking.” David turns his head to where he heard Gwen come from. Jen’s head swiveled around slowly as she took in everything. Behind her, he found Daniel lurking.

“Hey guys!” David approached them, glad to see his friend and the two other co-counselors.

“You must be David,” Jen faced him.

“Yeah! Nice to formally meet you, Jen.” David held his hand out. He saw Jen hesitate then she raised her hand to shake his. For a second, David felt the urge to look down. When he glanced down at their clasped hands, he saw a red pentagram-like tattoo on Jen’s wrist. He stared for a second too long as the other camp counselor took her hand back a little too quickly.

“Now that we’re all acquainted, let’s remember that we have campers to watch over. Jen and I can stay out here–“ Daniel was interrupted when Gwen put her hand up.

“Nuh uh, freak. Jen’s staying with me for the day. We’ll go watch the kids. David, stay with your twin.” She linked arms with Jen who looked like she had a forced grin on her face. Together, the two counselors headed back into the mess hall.

“Did she just call us twins?” David chuckled as he watched his friend disappear into the doors of the mess hall. He was greeted with silence. He turned around and strangely enough, Daniel stood there watching him.

“Yes, it seems so. My my, David, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed that we look alike?” David could swear he heard sarcasm in his tone but he shrugged that off.

“It didn’t cross my mind that we looked alike. I just thought you had good taste in terms of looks,” David gestured to him. “With the exception of your clothes. They look good, yeah, but it’s not really the best when you’re out doing camp activities, isn’t it? It would get dirty.”

Daniel crossed his arms and huffed. “I’ll have you know I keep my clothes in pristine condition. I make sure that by the end of the day, there are no rips, smudges, or anything that could potentially ruin my outfit,”

David raised an eyebrow. “That’s quite conscious of you. Isn’t that kind of tiring to do? Having to keep yourself clean every minute?”

“David, have you ever owned a cat?”

“No?”

“Well, cats do that. And they never get tired.” Daniel smiled.

“Are you suggesting that you’re a cat?” David smiled, then laughed once an image of Daniel in cat ears and a cat tail appeared in his mind. Quickly, Daniel’s smile faltered. A twitch in his eye formed.

“I never knew how funny you are,” Daniel ground out.

“Oh please, I’m quite the entertainer,” he guffawed, knowing this irritated the blonde more. For a second, or two, Daniel let the sour mood leave him and he chuckled along.

“Yes, you do entertain me,” Daniel said offhandedly, smile returning to his lips. The camp counselor’s laugh slowly died away as he wiped a tear away from his face.

“I do?” David asked incredulously.

“In more ways than one, friend.” Daniel’s grin from a while ago came back up. David didn’t know how to feel about it. Then a thought came to him. He looked back at the mess hall where Jen and Gwen went to then back at Daniel.

“I’ve got something to show you,” David said excitedly. He didn’t wait for Daniel’s reply and grabbed his arm, gently tugging him towards the forest. He doesn’t know what compelled him to suddenly show the co-counselor his hiding place but he was heading there. The walk was quiet except for the crunching of leaves under their boots.

It was moderately far from camp and when they got there, David couldn’t hear anything from Camp Campbell at all. It was like the sound of nature blocked them out. He let Daniel’s arm go when they arrived. It wasn’t any different with any other place in the forest but the boulder that sat right next to his meditating spot provided a good place to rest his back once in a while. One time, David passed out on a rock. And he would never tell of that story again.

“Why are we here?” Daniel asked.

“Um, you see, I come here in my free time. It’s nice and I like to meditate sometimes. It’s also real quiet,” David demonstrated this by sitting by his usual spot with legs crossed. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. He relied on his hearing to locate where Daniel would go and what he’d do. So far, the blonde was just standing behind him. Then he heard him walking closer, closer, until he dropped down beside him.

“Huh, it does seem peaceful.” He whispered. David smiled _. I knew he’d like it here too_.

Both boys just sat in the wilderness, listening to nothing but bated breaths and thinking of ways how to start a conversation. Something crossed David’s mind but it was so absurd, he could’ve laughed. What if Daniel was holding the same knife he held before to this back now? No, he refuses to believe that. So for a split second, he opens one eye and glances beside him. The white-clad counselor was laying back on the rock with his head tilted towards the sky. The way the light cascaded down on his blonde hair and pale face made David jolt a little. _My god, he looks like a god_.

By the time David looks away and closes his eyes, he didn’t catch Daniel looking back at him.

“Everything alright, friend?” Daniel asked.

“Yep. Just the stress from camp finally coming off me. Those kids could be a handful, you know,” he chuckled. Then resumed the silence.

The red-head slipped into a relaxed state and eventually, David started humming to the tune of a song he loved before. It was back in his years when he recently just started camp and he got into this band a friend suggested he listen to. They had some cool stuff.

“I thought you were meditating?” Daniel interrupted.

“I am. This is how I relax,” David opened his eyes and smiled at Daniel. “You could try it too,”

Daniel tilts his head to the side. He copies David’s position and looks up at the sky. “Am I doing it right?”

“Yep! Now, just think happy thoughts.”

David and Daniel sat side by side in silence. But that didn’t linger for long. “Can you hum that Fall Out Boy song again?”

David opened his eyes in surprise and turned to look at his friend. Totally losing his cool, he squeals. “You know them? You know the song too?! Gee golly, that’s wonderful. I didn’t know you liked bands! I didn’t know you liked listening to songs in general,” David said. Daniel was giving him a curious look and a smile appeared on his face.

“The Take Over, The Breaks Over?” Daniel guessed. He nodded. Maybe they could be friends after all. David was willing to get to know Daniel better, for the sake of the camp.

Oh, who was he kidding. Daniel seemed like an awesome guy! David would love to be friends with him.

But just as fast as it came, it went. Daniel looked like he remembered something bad and it completely wiped the smile off his face. It concerned him and David was going to ask if Daniel hadn’t beaten him to talking. “We should probably head back. Gwen could be looking for us,” and with that, the blonde stood up and dusted off his pants. They headed back to Camp Camp, no words between them as if the silence has eaten up the space. But it was a comfortable silence.

* * *

 

**Daniel**

With hands curled into fists and a tick forming in his jaw, Daniel's mind was a jumble of thoughts. He was thinking if it was a good idea to befriend the brunette. Will this benefit him in any way? The boy who trailed behind him was whistling to a tune unbeknown to him. On the way back, Daniel has been occupied with thinking what he could do with this connection with the camp counselor that he was jolted out of his thoughts when a hand clamped on his arm. It was Jen and it seemed that they've arrived.

"We have a lot to catch up to, Danny." She smiled. When he looked back, he found David busily chatting with the other girl.

"Where shall I start?" He hummed in mock contemplation.

"Cut the shit, Daniel. What happened after you left camp, when you left me to die? Did you have an ulterior motive behind all we've planned?" She continued to bombard him with questions and he motioned her to stop when he saw Gwen walking towards them.

"Gwen, heyyy!" Jen forced out. _Like a mouse caught in a trap_ , Daniel rolled his eyes. Unsurprisingly, the other girl didn't notice.

"David's working on those paperworks. I told him to do it sooner but he just doesn't listen sometimes," she sighed. "He could've done it while we were busy. Wonder what the hell he's been doing the entire time." She cast an obvious glance to Daniel's direction. Jen caught on immediately when her head snapped to him too.

"We do the things good friends do. You know, like, talk?" Daniel smiled. The co-counselor's eyes narrowed at him.

"Whatever. Since we're all here and David's busy, we should all do our jobs already. Jen, since you're new, you'll observe first. Get a feel of how things work around here. Daniel, you're up next. I trust that you've seen how David works. Give the kids something to do cause right now, I'm not feeling up to the task." Gwen waved her hand.

Both cultists nodded their heads. The co-counselor retreated back to her cabin with not so much as a farewell.

They surveyed the scene. Campers were all over the place, running in circles, beating other kids up, and being the dumb kids they are. Jen put a hand to her forehead.

"Just like last time?"

"Just like last time," Daniel nodded.

"And so, we shall start with painting." Jen clapped her hands. The two of them gathered the materials for this camp activity and set them up in the hall. With Jen's expertise in fine arts, she was able to create a palette of monochromatic colors of red. They called the attention of the campers and escorted them into the room.

For once, it wasn't to plan for their demise. It was just another day in camp. Jen explained that the campers had to create an artwork using one color in different shades. It was quite the mind-worker. Daniel hadn't much experience in the arts and he was always fascinated with paintings. It was messy at first and the campers didn't really know what to put on their canvas until Jen showed them an example. She painted the afternoon sky with the clouds and pine trees off into the distance, except they were all red and the sky was an ominous shade of crimson. As if she painted hell.

And the kids gained the initiative to paint. One kid in particular, Dolf, painted something similar to Jen's but with his own interpretation of it.

"Did I do good?" Dolf grinned up at them. Red substance was splattered on his hands and shirt. Daniel stood back and watched from a few feet away.

"Superb!" Jen ruffled Dolf's head and nodded.

The rest of the day went by smoothly. Gwen came to visit and was surprised to see Jen working. Nonetheless, she gave her a thumbs up and retreated. David came around after the paperworks were done. By the time their camp counselor came back, the kids were tired and the sun was setting.

They gathered around a fire where Gwen was cooking fish. All campers and counselors ate in their respective places. Daniel sat beside Jen on one log; David and Gwen sat on another. As he looked up from his food, he saw David look up as well. With the dark of the night and the fire providing the only light source, David looked mysterious. Mysteriously handsome. Daniel quirked an eyebrow and David smiled at him.

"Oh! Are we going to have more singing like last time?" Space Kid quirked up. Neil shushed him.

"Damn it, Space Kid! Why'd you have to remind them?" The boy facepalmed when he saw David's eyes light up.

"Why, I'd love to–"

"Actually, if you don't mind, I'd like to sing a song." Daniel volunteered. David grinned and gave him the floor. Ever since that moment in the forest, he felt he had to reminisce the days when he was in love with bands. One band in particular.

For this song, a fiddle won't suite well. But he could always alter the melody. Do an acoustic version with his fiddle. As he was coming up with ways to sing his song, he brought up his fiddle and started up a tune. Then he sang.

_‘Sit tight, I'm gonna need you to keep time. Come on just snap, snap, snap your fingers for me.’_

With that said, the campers snapped their fingers to the beat. Daniel almost laughed.

_‘Good good, now we're making some progress. Come on, just tap, tap, tap your toes to the beat.’_

He saw David perk up when he began his number. Could it be that he knew this too? That makes it all the more entertaining. With a grin, he got into his groove and sang with more enthusiasm.

_‘And I believe this may call for a proper introduction and, well, don't you see? I'm the narrator and this is just the prologue.’_

Halfway through his words, David stood up and brought out his guitar. He gave him the stage this time.

_‘Swear to shake it up, if you swear to listen_

_Oh, we're still so young, desperate for attention_

_I aim to be your eyes, trophy boys, trophy wives.’_

And together, they sang the chorus. It was just like that morning when they sang. It went back and forth between them with a synchronized harmony. No dead air to be heard. Last time, there was some kind of heated tension between them. Now, it was purely for entertainment. The campers were hollering and dancing to their jig. Even Max was banging his head to the beat.

They both had a showdown of instrumentals. David with his guitar and him with his fiddle. And just like last time, they progressively edged closer to one another. David ended the finale with the high-pitched ending, singing _la la la_ and strumming his guitar for a closing remark.

Daniel was impressed. And apparently, so was the camp as they clapped and whistled. The other camp counselors applauded as well. Daniel has got some competition. David smirked and bowed. The blonde copied his actions and went to sit back down with Jen.

"Do you regret going up there?" Jen whispered once he was all well and comfy on his spot. He let the question sink in.

"No, I don't," and he genuinely felt that he didn't. Daniel’s going to have to step up his game. But that doesn't change the fact he'll have to decide David's fate sooner or later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> btw I'm sorry if you're irritated with band references.
> 
> BUT if you aren't, that's awesome! I have this weird headcanon where David's a FOB fan and Daniel's a P!ATD fan. Sooo yeah. I swear, this'll be the only chapter where they sing a bang song. Too much references can kill. 
> 
> (song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=flKd80xRazk)


	3. You Just Haven't Thought Of It Yet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if it's getting all lousy and not-so-well written anymore. School is finally catching up and for the past weeks and incoming weeks, I'll be busy with school work and projects. As much as I'd love to keep updating, I really wanna keep track of how I write and how I can improve with this. So.. from now on, I might update a little bit slower. I'm honestly sorry..

The following days have been equally productive and interesting. As Jen settled in, everybody started warming up to her. Well, as much as they warmed up to Daniel, which wasn't saying much. But Ered seems to like her.

The camp counselor approached the bundle of kids who surrounded Gwen and Jen. They were both drawing on their wrists with an array of Sharpies that laid scattered beside them.

"Gwen?"

At David's voice, she looked up. And the most unusual thing on earth was on her face. A smile.

"Good morning, David! Jen got me this cool-looking tattoo on the back of my shoulder and now, we kinda match! Ugh, besties, right?" She nudged the counselor beside her. The blonde girl nodded, still working on Nikki's arm.

"I want a big fat grizzly bear on my arm. Or, wait, a huge boa constrictor!" Nikki was jumping around. Jen had to steady her a couple times. They seem to be engaged in what they were doing so David asked Gwen instead.

"What tattoo?"

"You've seen the star on her wrist. I have black stars on my shoulder. It's small and cute. And yeah, I guess the campers heard about it and now, they're asking if they could have tattoos."

"What?! And did you give them any?" David exclaimed.

"Hell no! What am I, stupid?" Gwen laughed. "Jen got this idea where we draw on them instead.. It ain't harming anybody. And now we're vandalizing children." She finished up with Harrison and he went on his merry way.

"Um, is this even allowed?" David doesn't remember reading about this in the Camper's Handbook. The two girls shrugged.

"As long as it's making the campers happy," he relented.

Ever since Jen's arrival, David's being robbed off his time with Gwen. They must really get along, creepy magazine aside. And the pentagram. If this is what's finally making his friend happy, then David shall see to it that they'll all get along. He misses Gwen too though.

David's aware that Daniel's been acting a bit weird lately. Whenever he and Jen were talking, he'd see them whispering to one another and making rude faces.. David wasn't blind. He was concerned if they had problems of their own. Or maybe... are they together? David never thought of this before. It could be a possibility.  _Oooh, a lover's quarrel, perhaps?_  He put a finger on his lips. Daniel never struck him as someone who'd be in an intimate relationship. Then again.. with a face like that.

David fans his face as he feels blood rush to his cheeks. Co-workers shouldn't feel this way about their co-workers. Especially someone who looks so out of his league. Someone as perfect and talented and handsome as Daniel.

David starts covering his face.  _It's okay!_   _This is okay. It's normal to feel this way. Usually, it's not with another guy. Hoo boy!_ David heads over to the lake and takes a deep breath. He can clear out his thoughts here.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Nature is his home. His happy place. David belongs here, with the tall, lush trees and the scent of nature all around him. The camp counselor looks down at the water and smiles at his reflection. He's pretty happy with the way things are going on in camp, despite his friendly rivalry with Daniel, which may or may not still be a thing.

He can hear Max and his friends talking in the background. Max, being devil incarnate himself, is still talking rudely behind Daniel's back. David leans back to listen.

"I fucking swear, something's wrong with that psycho! I feel it in my gut,"

"Max, you're delirious. It's the Kool Aid talking," Nikki argued even as she sounded distracted.

“But that's the thing! We never got to drink the Kool Aid. Something's fishy around here," 

"Yeah, like, Daniel could be the type to check those nutrition facts at the back of every food packaging. He could genuinely be health-conscious and had second thoughts about letting us intake something unhealthy." Neil suggested.

"... You don't actually believe that, do you, Neil? My god, that's the most bullshit thing I've ever heard from you."

"Or.. yeah, you have a point. He kinda freaks me out too.." Neil relented. 

The brunette knew from the start the kids doubted Daniel's methods. They never cozied up to him. He was just as good–if not, better–than David at being a camp counselor. David would never admit it, of course. He had a certain superior aura around him that made David want to obey his every order.

He laughed at that idea. Daniel should learn from him too. They can exchange camp counseling tips sometimes and teach each other what the other knew. In their spare time, of course. He stood up from his spot and checked the to-do list he always had on him. Right. Capture the flag.

 

* * *

 

**Daniel**

"I never understood how you are so satisfied by spilling copious amounts of blood," Daniel drawls as he checks his fingernails, laying back on a chair and feet up on the desk. He and Jen were chilling in his cabin after the campers have finished their activities. Capture the flag, they called it. In his previous camp, they called it "capture the sacrificial lamb".

He was joking. That was Jen's area of expertise.

A clunk. A knife lodged in his desk.  _That's going to leave a mark_ , he frowns in dismay. Jen groans from her seat then looks to the co-counselor.

"You haven't felt true blood lust, my brother. Ascension isn't just about poisoning the innocent and sending the damned to a celestial slaughter house." Jen puts a hand on the desk and yanks the knife away.

"But that's exactly how I intend to do things. It's a piece of cake. It also saves me time from having to cleanse my bleached clothes of bloodstains." With a watchful eye, he follows the blonde girl's movements. He watches how she skillfully twirls his knife in one hand. It's the same knife he almost lodged in her throat the night when she refused to see the light. It would have happily met its destination until something in Jen stirred. An awakening of some sort from the demons within her. Daniel's job had been done.

"Must you always be a prick, Danny? If it weren't for your obsessive need to always be clean and oh-so-shimmering-splendid, you'd see. You'd see that the blood that coats your hands won't be enough. You'll want to bathe in a waterfall of it. An unhealthy amount of sticky, red–"

"I get it. I see the picture. Quite frankly, I find it disgusting. Is this what girls go through every month?" He feigned repulsion. Seeing the confused look on his friend's face, he almost laughed.

"What? No!" she blanched "Daniel, you're missing the big picture. I want you to feel what I feel. The adrenaline in my veins. The lust to do so much more," Jen moves forward and puts her elbows on the desk in an attempt to look intimidating. 

"How do you suppose I feel that?" Daniel asks in a tone none too politely. He wasn't one to turn away from his methods to do something others preferred him to do. He had his way of doing things. Jen was asking for too much. 

"We initiate the slaughtering ourselves," Jen grins in slow frightening way that would've sent chills up anyone's spine. Unfortunately, Daniel wasn't anyone. He ponders over this for the entire time Jen was blabbering about the camp and it's equipment. Or lack, thereof. The other blonde tells Daniel how she'd love to tear off the kids heads if they asked her more stupid questions, especially the kid with the helmet. Jen's been dying to get rid of him. 

"All in due time, my dear," Daniel drawls as Jen rants about the kids nonstop, as if she hadn't heard him speak.

She's an interesting person, Daniel admits. She's just like him, but oh so different. Sadly, she cracked more easily. It was pretty easy to get on Jen's nerves and that gave her away so quickly. He tilts his head to the side as he watches her stab the air with his knife. She was also very aggressive. Jen just hid it well. He sees it as a weakness. The more vulnerable you are to feelings, the easier you are to figure out. The more they can break your shell. Daniel refuses to be someone like that and really thinks Jen should do the same.

“-think we could help them?”

Daniel is snapped out of his thoughts when silence followed Jen’s words. He realized she was asking a question. The co-counselor looked at him straight in the eye.

“Sorry?”

“I said, do you think it’s possible we can help them?”

Daniel’s eyebrows creased together. “Who’s them?”

“David and Gwen! My dear precious god, haven’t you been listening to me? I think it’s a good idea to try and bring them over to our side,” now, what she proposed could be a dangerous idea. The last time Daniel persuaded someone, he was on the verge of killing her due to his impatience. Instead, he made this monster with the lust for blood and trashy magazines. Too damn impulsive a move. He’d never admit Jen actually had a place in his heart though. A friendly place. If you call someone you’d like to send to hell and back a friend.

“Gwen’s going to be a tough one,” Daniel said.

“Nonsense. I got her that matching tattoo. She’s just about ready to do anything I say we do. She thinks I’m..” Jen takes a deep breath and lays back in her chair. “Coooool,” she grins.

Daniel chokes and bursts out laughing, slamming the desk with his fist. “Jen, when on earth have you been deemed “cool”? Reading trashy magazine to fit in and talking about boys isn’t cool. Honestly, Jen, you make me laugh. It reminds me how the un-ascended spend their petty lives,” he heard a nervous laugh come from her.

“Gwen’s not all that petty. She and I share the same likes…”

“Like what? Talking about boys? There’s literally no one to talk about here, unless you’re into kids. I’m obviously out of the equation,” he blows a stray strand of his blonde hair away and leans back on his chair.

“Pfft, yeah. Who the hell would want to date you?” Jen teased. Offended, Daniel makes a move to retaliate.

A knock came on his door. Then a voice. The sweet lilting voice of the brunette he had been trying to avoid unsuccessfully. That sweet voice that just lures him out of his hiding spot and make him take what’s his.

 _What.._ Daniel furrowed his brows. _Ah, that’s right. I have yet to claim this camp as my own and show the Greater One that I am worthy._ He’s going to have to prove it by being better than the brunette standing outside his door. Still knocking. Oh, right. He came over and opened it to see David standing there.

“Daniel.” He greets him with the sweetest smile on earth. He sees him look past his shoulder and deeper into his cabin.

“And Jen! What a surprise!” It really wasn’t. He turns back to the girl in his room and as expected, his knife is nowhere to be seen. Jen waves a hand back at David. “Nice to see you, Davey!” The boy by his door chuckles.

“You need help with anything, David?” Daniel asks, breaking David’s attention away from Jen. It was subtle but Daniel could see something else was on his mind now.

“Umm sort of. Gwen’s asking me to come get you guys. Cameron Campbell’s here,” came David’s nervous reply. The blonde felt his grin stretch a bit. At long last, he gets to meet the big man himself. _Let’s see what he’s made of_ , he thinks as he turns to Jen and sees the same calculating expression on her face.

“We’ll be there in a minute,” he winks at David and closes the door on him.


	4. It Matches Your Blackest Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back and writing again! Been hella busy with school work and I'm currently addicted to The Book of Mormon, the musical~ Huehue. Anyways, it feels good to have time off my hands again and do something that relaxes me. I'm really itching to get the story going and I'm still making up plots in my head to how this will all end. No worries! I have a long way to go.  
> Also, apologies for incorrect spellings and stuff. Woopies.  
> (btw, this fic's title sounds way too serious for a fic that has song references lmao.)

“Is it just me or does something feel off in this place?” Cameron Campbell squinted as he inspected the mess hall. David instructed the kids to go play outside and be safe as the “adults had to talk”. The eager camp counselor watched as Cameron walked around the mess hall, glancing occasionally at the side as if something appeared in his peripheral vision. Gwen was leaning back on the wall with arms crossed, looking none too pleased with being disturbed. She was watching Teen Prison Mom Wars at the time David decided to knock on her door. It took him a couple tries.. well, okay, maybe more than 10 knocks but eventually, she answered.

David spent his time with the kids and looked after them while his co-counselors were off busy doing other things. He was slightly disappointed that no one stayed behind with him. He expected maybe Daniel would stay. But he understood his co-workers needed their privacy too.

“That’s ridiculous, sir! Everything is exactly the same as you left it. Your campers are happy. Your camp counselors are happy. I’d say it’s a fine day!” David nudged Gwen, trying to bring a smile to her face. She grunted instead.

“That’s one way to put it,” he chuckled. The camp founder stopped by a window and gazed outside.

“They’re not here. Yet,” David heard him mutter under his breath. He learned not to question things whenever Cameron Campbell was around. Besides, he never gave them direct answers. He tugged on his yellow neckerchief in anticipation and wondered what took the others so long.

“Hey, didn’t you say you recruited a bunch of idiots—I mean, enthusiastic workers? Who are they? Do they have anything suspicious in their documents?” He turned around to face Gwen and David. Just as David opened his mouth to speak, the door burst open and in came the duo, Daniel and Jen.

“Good day, sir!” they greeted in synchrony. It was the most fascinating thing David saw. If only he and Gwen could be like them. The duo filed into the room after closing the door behind them.

“This is Daniel and Jen, the new recruits of last week. And probably the only recruits we’re ever going to have,” Gwen blew out a breath.

“My god, they even look the same,” Cameron Campbell said under his breath. David heard it and almost laughed. Yeah, Jen and Gwen really looked alike.

“Now, come on, Gwen. Surely, we could recruit more if we had the heart to do it! It takes patience and dedication. Heck, we got them, didn’t we?” David gestured to the two white-clad counselors. They grinned back, a strange smile that didn’t feel quite right. Gwen’s frown lifted into a half smile as she looked at them. _Who was she directing that smile to?_ He looked back at the two.

“That’s right! Surely, we could make this camp a bigger and better place, if we put our hearts into it!” Daniel cheered.

“Whoa, there! Um, how about we keep this camp as small as we can and try not to get too much attention, aye? There are... people out there. Bad people,” The camp founder sweated nervously and nudged David. He was winking none so discreetly. David didn’t get it.

“Aww but sir, don’t you want Camp Campbell to be the most well-known camp there is? We’re here to unite people and help them develop their skills!” He spread his arms over his head in excitement. Oh, the thought! He can imagine all the cheerful campers coming together in a bonfire. They’ll be laughing and singing and joining hands. David wished it would come true. Beside him, Gwen dropped her jaw in horror.

“Don’t you think so too, Gwen?” David asked, ignorant of her disgust.

“Please leave me out of this, David. I’d want nothing more than to leave this place,” she begged. The brunette laughed. Gwen was always the funny one. Sometimes. _She didn’t mean it._ That put him at ease.

“And with our help, we can make that dream come true!” Jen piped up, as if reading the camp counselor’s thoughts.

“Yeah!” He and Daniel agreed. For a quick moment, their eyes met. It was gone as soon as it came, but David felt it. That weird tingle at the nape of his neck. But what was it?

“Now, now. No need to get hasty,” the camp head nervously raised his hands. Every so often, he’d glance out the window like a predator hunting for prey. Then he’d look at his watch and repeat. He wasn’t the predator. Maybe he was the prey. “I admire the imagination, but we all have to think rationally. This camp has no space for more camp counselors. How did that saying go? Three’s a pair, four’s a crowd?”

“It’s actually–“

“Anyway, my time’s up. I’ll see y’all again soon! David, don’t fuck this camp over. For now, I must bid you all adieu.” Mr. Campbell once again makes a dashing exit after picking up a suitcase from underneath a table. _Where did that come from?_ David hadn’t the time to finish the thought before he was gone and never to be seen again until his next surprise visit.

“Bye, sir!” David waved at his retreating back. He was too far to hear him so there came no reply.

“What’d you think? Isn’t he amazing?” David asked when he heard a couple of footsteps come close.

“If by amazing, you mean insensitive and cares for nothing and no one but himself, then yes, I guess.” Gwen droned. She hastily looked around for any cameras that might be watching and sighed.

“He seems okay,” Daniel tilted his head in contemplation. Jen had stood beside him the entire time and the brunette had to wonder if they were ever going to separate from one another.

“Not the caring type, I assume. But that’s okay!” Jen said. 

“Now, if you excuse me, I shall go back to watching my favorite show,” His friend made a move to leave.

“What show?” Jen asked.

“Oh. Um, Teen Prison Mom Wars. They’re doing reruns and I can’t afford to miss it,” she said. David watched the spectacle between his friend and his new co-worker.

“I’ll come with!” And together, the girls walked out the door with arms linked together. Huh, so, now they were separated.

“So, Davey,” Daniel broke the silence. His voice was music to his ears and this perked him up. There’s something about the way Daniel’s voice caught his attention. It’s weird.

“I was wondering if you could tell me about the camp founder?” he looked around the same way Gwen did as if looking for any surveillance cameras. There were none in view but David knew better. He knew Mr. Campbell and knew without a doubt there were recording devices hidden in corners and crevices. He was threatened not to spill it though. Or else he’d lose his job. _Mr. Campbell might seem like a sweet and caring man, but he can be scary when he’s serious!_ David shuddered.

For this very reason, he linked arms with Daniel, who looked quite surprised, and led him outside away from surveillance. David doesn’t know why he felt the need to, but it felt like he didn’t want his friend to get in trouble for asking the wrong questions.

So they’d talk where nobody could hear them.

He led the blonde counselor to his cabin where David was certain no hidden cameras or voice recorders were lying around. As he opened his door, he remembered Daniel’s request.

“I’d love to tell you about Mr. Campbell. But what I’ll say requires your utmost trust and swear to secrecy that you never tell anyone,” he spun around and looked dead straight at his oh so bright blue eyes. Blue eyes that was so near and unexplainably captivating.

“S-swear?” his voice trembled unreasonably. David still held onto the doorknob of his cabin as he awaited the blonde’s reply. He was quiet for a while, then a smile. And a nod. That wasn’t enough.

“Daniel, I need to know if you’re taking me seriously,” David asked politely.

“Right, okay, fine. I swear to keep it a secret,” he relented. The brunette’s eyes sparkled as he pulled him into his cabin to satisfy what Daniel craved for. He told him the history of how David came to be him and what Cameron Campbell’s involvement in his life was. How much of a good counselor and head he was and how he did things better than anyone could. He told him how he was like these past few months and what the hooey he’s been getting himself into. He told him tales of his adventure and the daring feats their camp founder has gone through.

He told him everything and every little gossip he heard about the camp head, simply because he wanted Daniel to feel like he could trust David. He wanted Daniel to come to him for every question in his mind. He wanted his friendship with his friend to blossom. He really really _really_ liked Daniel.

They sat in his room, completely forgetting about the outside world. They talked and discussed like it was just the two of them in their tiny little world. The camp counselor loved it. For a second, he thought the questions Daniel started asking got a little too personal, but he didn’t mind answering them once he saw the grimace on his face. He even relented and told him a couple secrets the camp founder bore. He told him which places were being watched by cameras and which weren’t. Told him which places had a hidden compartment you could hide something into. David got so into it when his friend’s eyes widened in interest. It went on like this for the whole day. Eventually, they had to go out to eat food. Once they got to the mess hall, Jen and Gwen were already there, handing out plastic plates with food on them.

By the time recent events caught up to him, David froze in his place. His friend didn’t seem to have noticed as Daniel went ahead and grabbed a plate. _I just broke the rules_ , David panicked as he realized he released vital information of the camp to a co-worker–information that shouldn’t be shared with anyone else. If the camp founder knew about it, he’d be in a whole lot of trouble for sure.

Just what got into David’s mind when he felt like he had to please the other man’s curiosity?

* * *

 

**Daniel**

He and his co-workers sat together under the night sky as they ate dinner. The campers were altogether in one big table and were talking loudly amongst themselves. Daniel chose the spot across from David. He’s starting to tolerate his existence and he realized his company wasn’t all that bad. He smiled at him when he caught his eye. Something poked his chest when he saw the red head smile abashedly back.

Oh. Someone did poke him.

“You were right. Gwen might be a tough one to crack,” Jen said nonchalantly.

“Hm? How so?” Daniel looked down at his plate, avoiding eye contact with anyone until he finished his food.

“She seemed a little.. uninterested when I slipped into the topic of religion.” She said uncomfortably. Daniel nodded his head slowly. His friend told him how Gwen sounded bored out of her mind when Jen was trying to lecture her. He frowned in dismay. The tone in Jen’s voice sounded a lot like whining.

“Conceal, don’t feel, Jen.” He interrupted.

“Excuse me?” She blanched. He shook his head.

“If they won’t join us, we’ll sacrifice them to the Ancient Ones. It’s easy as that,”

“But won’t it be better if we expanded our circle? Danny, the cult’s dying. When was the last time you heard from brother Michael or brother Nik? You told me stories about them yet, I fear you might be lying. You say your cult has been spreading to try and recruit new members. We haven’t heard from them, news or otherwise,” she was speaking in hushed tones over the rowdy yells of the campers. No one from their table paid any attention to the blonde duo.

“Didn’t it ever occur to you that maybe... something happened?” she asked hesitantly. Daniel had been wondering the same. But he had faith in them. He knew his dear brothers were out there doing their jobs the way he was sent out to do. Invade a camp, persuade, then kill. Of course, their deaths aren’t put to waste. They were taught to sacrifice campers for the greater good.

“Jen, we never talk about doubts. They only invoke negative emotions. You have quite the imagination for our fellow cultists. But trust me, they’re out there.” He whispered back to her. “We pledge to this and we are bound to do so. Failure to comply will result in a grave punishment,” his voice rasped in her ears.

“And so that is why I believe they’re out there doing what’s good for them, what’s good for us, and what’s good for everybody.” He smiled. Jen slowly nodded along. Their conversation had come to a close when David decided to slide in the seat next to him.

“Hey hey! What’s everyone talking about?” He looked from Daniel to Jen. The poor naïve thing.

“We were thinking of a new activity for the campers. It’s kind of on the spot but it sounds exciting!” Jen leaned over the table to tell David. She nudged Daniel discreetly.

“We were wondering if you had any plans for tonight’s events. We’d be rude to assume without consulting you first,” Daniel apologized with a bow of his head. The brunette laughed and clapped him on the back.

“Nonsense, my friend! We’re open to new ideas! Camp is about having fun and experiencing new things. To be honest, I kind of lucked out for tonight. It’s great to hear you guys have something planned out,” David motioned Gwen over to tell of their plan. She shrugged and went away to put the plates in the kitchen. The camp counselor waited patiently for them to elaborate. Daniel turned to Jen.

“It’s a treasure hunting game. Everyone is paired up and we’re all given clues to where we’ll find certain pieces of the treasure. Gwen and I are excluded though ‘cause she helped me set it up. And of course, I’ll be the game master! Anyways, the game is timed. There will be five pieces to look for, and there will be six pairs. The pair that ends up empty-handed shall... receive a consequence,” She smiled. Daniel nodded and calculated her end game motive for this.

“Sounds great! I’ll help and-“

“Oh, you and Daniel are joining too,” she grinned. Daniel swore she was giving him a mischievous sideways glance but he refused to meet her eye. Instead, he watched David’s reaction. The brunette’s eyes widened and he had the biggest smile on his face.

“That’s awesome! Gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve played camp activities. Usually, I’m the one handling it and the smiles on the campers’ faces after a game satisfies me already. But this is cool! Daniel, can we be partners?” He pleaded the blonde. From the side, he saw Jen give him a curious look.

“Why, of course, David! It’d be a pleasure,” he smiled.

Right after dinner and helping Gwen with the dishes, they set up the tables for the game. Jen and Gwen sat behind a large table and called out campers’ names as they paired them up randomly. Jen, being the game master, explained the rules and instructions to the game. It seemed to excite them as the campers started jumping on their feet. Some were shivering in cowardice in their place. Daniel could hear mutters of “the dark isn’t something to be afraid of” among the crowd. That made him chuckle.

“All you gotta do is be one with the dark. And the dark shall not scare you any longer,” he muttered.

As Gwen organized them, Daniel could see who was with who. Of course, he was stuck with the overly-excited camp counselor. Max was with the theater boy, Preston. Nikki was paired up with Space Kid. Neil was paired with Harrison, the magician. The others, he didn’t quite know. The girl with the highlights was with the girl with the weird hat. The kid who looked like Hitler was with the big guy.

Jen provided them flashlights to navigate through the dark. Each pair had one flashlight to share. They were only supposed to find one treasure and bring it back to their base once they found it. The team who fails to find any of the pieces and becomes the last to come back to the base will be given consequences.

“What if someone wanted to sabotage the other team and hid the treasure for themselves?” Max raised his hand.

“Then they’ll be disqualified and receive dire consequences as well. I’m sure no one would think of cheating. That’s an awful habit to have,” Jen frowned. “We’ll know when you do. Liars go to hell, am I right?” and she laughed.

“Excuse me, how exactly are you sure that you’ll know when someone sabotages the game?” Neil interrupted.

She turns her head to him and tilts it the same way Daniel does when he gets irritated. “I have eyes around, kid. Plus, I can easily tell when someone’s lying! I’ve been taught how to decipher eye twitches and movements when someone acts in a certain way. I’m sure Daniel would too,” she nods at his direction.

“Is that something they teach you when you sign up for camp counseling?” Nikki asked her friends. They shrugged.

“One more question,” one of the campers asked. The one who looked like Hitler. “You mentioned five treasure pieces. There are six pairs. How can this be?”

“Huh, I forgot to mention that on one piece of paper, you are given riddles to find all the five pieces. You must only choose one and cross it out of your list once you find it. As I said, this is a game of quick wit and strength. You must get there before anyone else. We’ll have an alarm go off once you have 10 minutes left. Then another alarm for 5 minutes. Then twice the alarm when time’s up.” Jen elaborated.

“Alright, if there are no more questions, please approach the table for the papers. Once you get them, open them when I tell you so. You’ll have 40 minutes to finish the hunt. Everybody have their papers?” Everyone nodded. Daniel held the slip of paper in his hand while David held the flashlight. He checked his watch and estimated the time. 8:20 PM. The game ends at 9 PM sharp.

“Then the game shall begin,” with a wave of her hand, everyone opened up the paper and they went their separate ways. His eyes scanned the paper as they prepared to leave. David pointed at the second one on the list and said he thinks he knew where that place was. The brunette was a few steps ahead of him and that’s when Daniel looked back.

“What exactly are we hunting for?” he asked Jen when David’s back was turned.

“You should know, Danny. We’ve played this game before,” Jen gave him a smile and said nothing more. He knew. The blonde bid farewell as he entered the woods with David, his partner, to find the pieces of an animal. _I always knew she’d put that expertise to good use_ , he thought.

“You think we’ll find it before time runs out?” asked the worried boy next to him.

“Don’t worry, Davey. As long as you’re with me, we’ll be unstoppable. It’s just like capture the flag,” Daniel grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those people I mentioned in Daniel's cult are nonexistent btw huehue they're made up people. Not canon .-.


	5. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... yeah.. holy shit more updates. But yeah LEMME JUST TELL YOU GUYS. This whole chapter is in DANIEL'S POV. Okai, teehee, that's all. I'm also kind of super cringe-y about making riddle thingies and omg I d i e.  
> Thanks y'all for reading and giving kudos ;;-;;
> 
> (P.S, it's exam week this week. So yeah. Updates shall come later)

Daniel hummed a lullaby he was familiar with in his days of training. _Scarborough Fair_. It was the song of his people. Some of them, at least. Someone hummed the same tune in his first few days in Cult Camp. It was the same lullaby he’d hear every night and he clung to its sweet, haunting melody till the end of his sane days. It became a silent anthem for those who stayed up at night. No one knew who started the humming and no one talked about it. Then someone else would hum it. And the next night, a different voice. He found it amusing and it made sleeping in that hell hole a lot easier.

His partner had long since grabbed the paper from his hands and has been muttering to himself on their way to their destination.

“Are you sure you know where we’re going?” the blonde asked. David’s head snapped up. He was so focused on the paper, he could’ve tripped on his own two feet for not watching where he was going. He swiveled around with his flashlight in his hand, blinding Daniel momentarily. He raised a hand to his eyes.

“I’ve got an inkling,” the camp counselor said sheepishly. He recited the riddle that was written on the paper.

_“Beneath the trees, a secluded place_

_One where silence dwells._

_Toss a coin, or something shiny_

_Only Charon can lead thee._

_Don't dig deep but don't look on the surface_

_A curved horn hides in the forest._

_Look under a rock, or sleep on it_

_One of you hides a shameful secret. ”_

Daniel read the lines and snorted at how cheesy it sounded. But when he tried to analyze it, it seemed awfully suspicious the way Jen wrote the riddle. And the game? He wasn’t even aware she and Gwen talked about setting this game up. How dare she not include him in her plans. _Maybe she’s onto something. She could kill Gwen by the time the campers have left to go searching, far away from the scene of the crime. Is she giving me an opportunity to... to... spill blood on the battlefield?_ Daniel tensed. This is _not_ what they agreed on. But nonetheless, it gave him thrill to be the predator among the prey.

“Daniel, I don’t know how but I think this riddle talks about my hiding spot,” the red head was mumbling, eyes on the ground. He wasn’t looking at him. The flashlight was aimed at the ground as well. Daniel inched a step closer and the echo of his foot crunching the leaves sounded as loud as his own breathing.

“ _”One where silence dwells”_? I mean, that could be anywhere far from camp but, like I said, there’s a certain spot I come to hang out in and, well, it’s underneath the trees. And it mentioned a rock,” David was still looking down, his voice oddly trembling. The man slowly reached behind his back and felt for the comfort of his blade. It was tucked securely in his waist band.

“Daniel, did you tell them about my hiding spot?!” David spun around, surprising Daniel in his tracks. His hand froze around the handle of his knife. David didn’t seem to notice as he was looking at Daniel with the most heart-wrenching betrayed look on his face.

“What?” he said.

“I trusted you,” David frowned, “I showed you that place so that maybe you and I can spend some free time there and just get away from camp.”

 _Oh, is that what this is about?_ Daniel released his grip on his knife, regretting the adrenaline that coursed through him when he realized he had a quest to murder. He took in the embarrassed state David was in and his eyes widened. _Oh shit_.

“I didn’t tell anyone. I swear on my life,” he raised his hand. The camp counselor didn’t seem convinced though.

“Look at me, David. Do I look like someone who’d break a promise?” He crossed his arms and frowned. Of course, if he were talking to Jen, that would be a different story.

“If it gives you and Jen something to laugh about, I guess,” the camp counselor pouted. Daniel was baffled at this childish act. He refused to meet his eyes and Daniel swore he saw his cheeks go red as his hair.

“Why would I break a promise just to do that?”

“I don’t know!” David flailed his arms. “Gahh! I’m being all silly again,” He covered his face. The blonde had no idea how to react to a situation like this but he kind of found it hilarious that David felt embarrassed. He knew he’ll regret it later on. So, as Daniel sucked up is pride, he laid a hand on David’s hair and ruffled it.

“David, I hate to break it to you, but I’m no ditcher. Your assumptions are wrong, my friend,” he tried to smile a genuine smile. The knot in David’s shoulders loosened.

“But, how could she possibly find out?” He feebly raised the paper to his face and scrutinized the words written on it.

“Once you hang around Jen, you’ll see how stalker-ish she is. It keeps her busy when she’s not reading her magazines or listening to puke-worthy boy band music,” Daniel blurted. The brunette gave him a curious look.

“She sounds awfully a lot like Gwen. Minus the stalking part,”

“Exactly why they get along so much,” Daniel grinned. He saw him smile back and he knew everything was fine between them now. They inspect the paper once more and David started to lead the way. The forest can be real spooky at night and with only one flashlight, their vision is pretty limited. He watched as David jumped at every hoot of an owl or every crunch of a leaf.

“Let me hold the flashlight. We can’t afford you dropping it in your fright,” Daniel teased.

“I am not scared!” Yet, David still handed over the flashlight and hid behind him when the bushes moved to their right. Daniel shined a light on it and watched as a squirrel came out.

“You were saying?” He grinned over his shoulder. David had a deathly grip on his white shirt. He immediately let go and composed himself.

“Let’s get going, shall we?” he cleared his throat and waited for Daniel to move. He found his false bravado hilarious. A giggle rose out of his mouth as he walked ahead. He missed the horrified look on David’s face.

“Who knew a perfect angel like you could have such a scary laugh,” he shivered. And this time, Daniel guffawed.

“Nevermind. This one’s scarier,” David laughed.

“You haven’t met true horror, my friend,” the double meaning behind his words went unnoticed by the other man. He only laughed at this. “Right,”

“So, if I’m correct, you must be Charon?” Daniel asked after a moment of silence.

“Huh?”

“In the riddle. Since you’re the one who knows the place, only you can lead your partner to it.” Daniel explained.

“Oh. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I guess in that context, I am Charon,” David shrugged.

“Do you even know who Charon is?” Daniel asked. David rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

“I’m not quite familiar with him,” he said. And that gave them something to talk about. Greek mythology was something Daniel was an expert on. He loved anything that had stories of godly beings interfering with mortal lives. He told the story of Charon and who he was. He was the ferryman of Hades who brought souls to the other side. He rowed them across a terrible river called the River Styx.  And in order to be granted his service, one must put a coin in the deceased one’s mouth after they die.

This grabbed the brunette’s interest and he begged Daniel to tell him more. Something itched in the back of his head. It didn’t take them this long last time when they walked to David’s hiding spot. Were they lost? He opened his mouth to ask David but he was interrupted when he asked who Hades was.

And so he told him, his question lost in the wind. He told the tale of the God of the Underworld and his two other brothers. Then he told him the story of how Persephone was kidnapped by Hades. Daniel got this story memorized like the back of his hand ‘cause it was one of his favorite stories. He delved so deep into it that he didn’t realize they were already at their destination.

“Here we are,” David said. They shone the light on the paper and reread the last few lines.

“So, is it under that boulder?” Daniel directed the flashlight at the obvious hulking figure in the forest.

“Only one way to find out,” David rolled up his sleeves and tried to push it. With Daniel’s help, they moved it a couple inches until the ground beneath it was barren. The soil looked like it was scooped back into place. They were on the right track.

“Any idea what we’re going to find?” David huffed as he scooped amounts of dirt and threw it to the side. Daniel considered telling him.

“A goat horn, perhaps?” The brunette stopped what he was doing and stared at Daniel. The blonde looked back.

“You asked my opinion,” he shrugged nonchalantly.

“Dear golly. Okay okay, it did state a curved horn is lying around here somewhere,” and they got back to work. It wasn’t after a minute when they started to see something beneath the dirt. They pulled it out and patted the dirt away to get a clearer look. It was soft and white and it looked like it had been ripped apart from a teddy bear. It was a horn, but it was a plushy kind of horn.

“This is what we’ve been digging for?” Daniel deadpanned. David didn’t sense the dismay in his partner’s voice as he cheered and pumped his hand in the air.

“Alright, we found it!” he jumped.

Anger and frustration boiled inside him. So, this was a legit dumb game for them to play. He can’t believe he was pulled into this stupidity. He stared at the crevice they dug up. Disappointment filled him. He got up and dusted his pants.

“Daniel,” his head snapped up when David called him. The brunette still held the silly little thing in his hand. He wanted to slap it away. _Jen, you better have a good reason for dragging me out here. You just wasted my time_. A tick formed in his jaw but he hid it with a smile.

“What’s up?” He saw David look at the paper then back at him. There was an unreadable expression on his face. It didn’t sit right with him.

A loud ring resonated. Daniel jumped in surprise. He felt utterly stupid for being frightened. David looked around. It was the alarm. They had 10 minutes to get back to camp.

“Daniel, let’s go,” he didn’t wait for him as he turned around and started walking. It caught the blonde off guard and he quickly followed. It didn’t even register in his mind that David knew where to walk without the help of their flashlight.

For the first time, conversation died on their lips as they sped walked through the forest. David’s hand eventually wound up on Daniel’s arm as he led the other to camp. Unfortunately, he had to rely on him since Daniel hasn’t explored outside the camp boundary yet. It gave him a weird feeling of inferiority. As soon as they entered the clearing, he saw a blur of pink and knew they found Jen. She was about to push the button for the second alarm. They laid out their stuff on the table and sighed. Gwen gave them a half-assed thumbs up and resumed reading her magazine.

“Good job, you guys! We were wondering what took you guys so long,” Jen clapped them both on the shoulder. He saw David awkwardly avoiding her gaze.

“Heh, yeah, when the moon’s out to play and all light is gone, everything out there looks exactly the same. Every turn will look like your last,” David uttered an exhausted laugh. He stared at him for a second. Was he implying something else? The camp counselors attention was captured by the duo running into the clearing with a triumphant shout and a wide grin. It was Max and Preston holding a plushy head of a lamb. Upon closer inspection, Daniel saw that one of the horns was ripped off.

As Jen went over to the other side to congratulate them, Daniel looked back at the brunette. The boy’s neckerchief was smudged with dirt and it was damp with sweat. He raised his hand and flicked a spec of dirt away.

“Geez, you look like a hot mess,” he laughed. David’s cheeks burned.

“I could say the same about you,” his partner patted the sleeve of his shirt and flicked the dirt away.

“Well, I can’t always be spick and span, you know,” he gave a defeated sigh. This contradicted the last conversation he had about his appearance. As much as he hated to admit it, he had fun.

“I’m parched. You want me to grab you a drink too?” David asked. He nodded. He watched his retreating back until David disappeared into the mess hall. He didn’t realize he was staring until he blinked.

“See anything you like?” a voice whispered in his ear. Oh Jen, ever the creep. He smiled and turned to look at her. Behind her, Gwen had the campers all sorted. The pair that was separated from the group was Neil and Harrison. On the table, there were dismembered pieces of a stuffed animal; a lamb. A leg, a head, a tail, the torso, and of course, the horn.

“Jen, tell me what the ever-loving fuck you just made me do. ‘Cause I wasted my time in that forest, playing your dumb game. It would help to shed some light on my misery,” It wasn’t exactly misery for Daniel. He was stuck with the cutest, most oblivious guy on earth. Er, he was cute in friendly terms. _Is there even a friendly term?_ He argued in his head.

“Daniel, language.” She mimicked a certain boy’s tone. It set him on edge especially when she cracked a wicked smile. He wasn’t amused and she saw that on his face. She sighed and looked around.

“Don’t tell me you forgot the last bit in that riddle,”

“What? That one of us has a _“shameful secret”_? You couldn’t make it any more obvious that I’m suspicious, can you?” he was truly disappointed in her. And furious.

“Who said I was pertaining to you?” She muttered, looking unamused with his growing irritation for her. He’s had it up to here with her. Of course it was him. Was she trying to sabotage their plan to ascension? He could not think of other valid reasons.

“You knew. I don’t know how you know about his hiding place, but you definitely saw us.” He whispered. Jen’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. She shook her head.

“I didn’t see you. But I saw him,” she nodded her head to the direction behind him. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw David holding two cups in both hands and was making his way back to them.

He had to hurry. Piercing bright blue eyes stared back at his identical ones. She tsked. “You didn’t see it, did you?” she whispered harshly.

“See what?” He growled. “You put that place on the list for a reason. And you knew only he knows how to get there. Why expose yourself?” Daniel had enough of Jen’s games. _Patience was a virtue_ , was what they hammered into his brain when he was at Cult Camp. And so he repeated the same words in his head, forcing himself to calm down. He can’t explode in front of the campers. Their time is up.

“Daniel! Here’s your refreshing cup of water. Man, I’m so beat.” The camp counselor looked over them and saw the campers all gathered. The brunette immediately approached Max and congratulated him. Jen cleared her throat and announced who got there first and who got there last. The first pair who got there first was Dolf and Nurf. They were awarded extra pancakes for tomorrow morning. The duo shrugged and cheered anyways.

The white-clad counselor stood far from the crowd, glaring at Jen’s back. There was something going on and he was clueless. Jen announced that the losing pair had to sew the lamb back together in one piece. They were allowed to sleep once they’ve finished it. The campers then bid their goodbyes as they entered their tents.  Neil and Harrison were the only campers left by the table as they gathered up the sewing kits and started sewing.

This is their punishment? Denied of sleep just to sew a rotten lamb back together? Daniel rolled his eyes. It was dark and sewing was the least of their problems. Gwen and David hung back and were talking—well, it was mostly David doing the talking. Jen stopped and waved Daniel over. He reluctantly joined the others as they made their way to their cabins. The brunettes were talking about tomorrow’s activities and what could possibly await them. Gwen sounded as if she couldn’t care less.

 Just then, Jen’s nails dug into his arm. She leaned an inch closer to him.

“I never meant for you to find that stupid horn,”

“That was what’s written on the list,” he scoffed. She was silent for a while. She looked back at the camp counselors in front of them.

“True. But I was expecting you to find a slightly more realistic one,” she whispered. Daniel’s head swung to her direction. But at the same time, the people in front of them stopped and were looking at them weirdly. At first, Daniel thought they heard them.

It was Gwen who broke the silence. She coughed awkwardly. “Um, I’m sorry if we’re disturbing anything, but we just wanted to say good night and see you tomorrow,” she looked to the side. David was still staring at them. Gwen nudged him.

“Oh, yeah, I had a blast today!” he smiled sheepishly. He seemed to be looking at Daniel. Jen caught on immediately and sprung apart from him.

“Whoa, wait. It isn’t anything like that,” she raised her hands in defense. Gwen waved her hand and left, too tired to ask. David yawned and waved at them. The blondes looked at each other in exasperation. _Oh well_ , he thought as he said his farewell and got ready for bed.


	6. We're the new face of failure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying to refrain from switching POVs a lot ‘cause it can get pretty frustrating to read. For a second, I considered making a POV for Max but… nah, I’ll work my way through it. Also, I've been busy with school stuff again. So the first half of this chapter might be kinda okay, but the later parts get kinda rushed xD (sorry, I'm really craving rest rn)  
> Don't mind the chapter titles anymore. They're just random song lyrics lmao.  
> So, without further ado, I present to you this chapter!

David was the only one up early. The sun hasn’t peeked and the camp is filled with silence. He sat up from his bed drowsily and looked at the digital clock on his nightstand. Surely, nobody else was up at 4 AM. Gwen wakes up later than David. He never observed his new co-counselors’ sleeping habits, but he doubted they’d be up at this time.

His doubt did nothing to ease his growing anxiety. This completely woke him up from his slumber. As he rubbed his eyes and stretched his arms above his head, David had a minute to process just what occurred in the past few hours. He got up and undressed. There’s no room for mistakes. Again. He scavenged his closet for a darker outfit, one where he could blend in with the shadows. As he prepared and took precautions, the same thought that’s been itching in the back of his mind since the hunt began came back.

 _Someone followed us_. David slicked his auburn hair back. He checked himself once more in the mirror to see if he’d stand out in the dark. _Daniel must’ve been preoccupied with telling his stories. I’m surprised he wasn’t being keen with his senses._ Then he smiled. _I would’ve been too_ , he thought dreamily. _But... no. I was right in being alert_ , he wiped the smile off his face and exited the cabin silently.

As the camp counselor stalked into the night, he looked around for any signs that someone could still be up at this time. Neil and Harrison finished their punishment and should be longing for a good night’s rest. David was safe. But it was better to be cautious.

 _By the time we roamed the forest, they must’ve been there, waiting for us_ , David thought. _I had to know if we were being followed_. That’s why David walked a couple ways more to tire them out. He eventually felt them give up. That’s when David started walking to the place on the list.

 _Could it be Neil? Harrison?_ He thought with dismay. He could think of no reason why they would. It’s petty to think they followed them just to steal the pieces listed on the paper. _No, it’s someone else_. David kept his mind at work just as he did with his feet. He navigated through the abyss of trees like he was being called to the hearth of the forest. Without a flashlight. Bringing one with him is like hanging a neon LED sign above his head, signaling anyone at a 50 feet radius.

 _Jen’s another one I gotta look out for,_ he warned himself. How in heaven’s name did she follow him? And when? David worried his lip as he entered his territory. He stood still and listened for anything that seems out of place. It was dead silent. Even the animals were in deep sleep. This was good. Although, David feels like he’s being set up. Someone at camp knows. If they anticipated his next move, they should know he’s not in bed right now. Every second that ticked by made him nervous.

 _Daniel, do you have it in you to betray our friendship?_ He frowned. He wiped the sweat off his brow as he dug up the ground next to the spot he and his friend retrieved the plush toy. Unconsciously, he began to think about Daniel.

Blonde locks that looked soft to touch. Light blue eyes that looked deeper than the color gave it credit for. Skin so pale, he’d long to give warmth to it to give him color. Just the image of him filled his mind. It made David cease digging and sit back. _What are you doing to me, Daniel?_ He grunted in frustration. The brunette wasn’t exactly sure what he thought about him. Daniel’s a nice guy. Funny when he’s in the mood for jokes. He’s charismatic and friendly and... and... _intoxicating to be with_ , his mind filled in the blanks.

“Focus!” He whispered to no one but himself. Self-motivation is the key to being successful. And getting the job done a lot faster.

As he dug, his hands became dirty and he got dust under his nails. Sweat dripped down the side of his head and he wiped it with a nudge of his shoulder. After an immeasurable amount of time, he saw the item that could potentially ruin his career and relationship with his dear friends. He felt bile rise up in his throat but he pushed it down. With trembling hands, he lifted it and carried it off into the night never to be seen again. When David returned to his cabin, he quickly took a bath and hand-washed his outfit. He can’t risk doing laundry in the morning.

Once things were set aside, he dressed up in his pajamas and looked outside his window. Camp Campbell stayed the same as he left it. Quiet and still. He got in bed and watched the blinking digits on his clock. 5 AM. He had one hour to forget what happened tonight and let sleep overcome his very being. He had one hour to forget his worries and the boy that plagued his mind. One hour to silence his thoughts.

But instead, he turned in his sheets and looked off to the side. He was awake, and he cannot quell the voices that ran in his head.

_Max, it must be Max._

_That little brat is always up to something. He knows, for sure._

_The poor kid has no idea what he’s getting himself into._

_Leave him out of this. He knows nothing._

_They’re just kids. What harm can they do?_

The camp counselor groaned into his pillow. He’s been making very frustrated sexual noises recently, it was funny. But jokes aside, he can’t help but suspect the unruly boy at camp. He’ll have to see for himself. It’s hard not to see him with his friends plotting against something or someone. They even made it obvious the last time they followed David around. He had to drive them back in his car. The memory quieted his thoughts for a while. It was hilarious to hear they thought he was a murderous lunatic. It was the first time he opened up to someone. Even if that someone was a bunch of kids. They knew where pity was due and when it wasn’t. It’s been some time since he talked about his past. The accident. It was utterly...

David got up and threw off his clothes. No use pretending. He could always say he woke up early and started working on today’s activities. As he put on his camp uniform, he grabbed his clipboard and scanned through his list. He had a lot of activities listed down but it wouldn’t hurt to add more. Maybe he should make this day Science Appreciation Day. It would cheer Neil up after their punishment.

* * *

 

**Daniel**

Daniel sat on one side of the table with David on the other. It was their turn to manage camp activities for the day and they were paired up. It became a silent agreement that Jen stayed with Gwen and he with David. He put an arm up on the table and supported his chin with his hand. The brunette was busy looking through his papers and explaining how they could operate through it. One thing was on Daniel’s mind.

_Did David have a secret of his own?_

He wanted to crack him open. This could lead to a breakthrough. Can they possibly turn him? This excited the blonde counselor. He sat up straight in his seat and smiled encouragingly at David. The action brought David’s attention to him.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Well, don’t hesitate, friend.” David put the clipboard down and gave him all the time in the world. Daniel swore the butterflies duplicated in his stomach. The possibility that David might have the potential to become one with them was exhilarating! It was not farfetched, but he had to gather evidence first. _I’ll need to consult Jen about that little secret she kept from me_. He stored that reminder away for now.

“When are you free?” He leans on his hand and smiles charmingly at his direction. David spluttered as his cheeks went red.

“U-um, I’m sorry?” He cleared his throat awkwardly.

“I’m asking when you’re free. I’d like to engage in a long meaningful conversation with you sometime,” Now it was Daniel’s turn to blush. It sounded quite scandalous, what he just said right now. Jen would laugh at him if she saw him.

“You’re... asking me out?”

What. God, no. Daniel just wanted to spend the whole day in David’s room and talk to him about the wonders of ascension. It’s likely he’d convince him to see their ways.  He laughed.

“You’re funny, David. I am proposing a discussion of sorts. I’d like to talk about them with you. So! When are you free?” Daniel smiled, tilting his head to the side a bit. It shouldn’t be this difficult to ask him. So why was it?

“Oh,” came the brunette’s reply. He almost sounded disappointed. _Nonsense_ , the blonde thought. There’s no room for that once they engage in a meaningful conversation, unlike this awkward tête-à-tête. Daniel opened his mouth to retort but then the door to the mess hall slammed open.

“David, some of the kids are missing. Max, Nikki, and Neil aren’t anywhere to be found! I thought they were just fooling around, like what they do every day. But it’s been hours and they aren’t back yet.” yelled Gwen with Jen trailing behind her.

“What? When did they vanish? Did you try asking the other campers?” David was off his seat and striding towards the door. Once he and the other camp counselor was out of hearing range, Jen entered the room and closed the door behind her.

“So,” he drawled.

“It’ll take them an hour tops to find them,” she inspected her nails and sat down on the chair David occupied a minute ago.

“You sure about that?”

“Okay, maybe less than that. But time is time, and time is precious.” She laced her fingers and placed them on top of the table. A mischievous grin sat on her face. Outside, mingled voices shouted the missing campers’ names. They were on the hunt now.

“Care to tell me what you’ve been hiding last night?” Daniel sat back and waited patiently for Jen to respond. She drummed her fingers on the table in a steady rhythm. It seemed to taunt him.

“Our little Davey’s hiding something sinister,” she smiled, eyes on the table.

“How sinister?” the co-counselor raised his eyebrows. The brunette looked nothing like the type to do something horrible. It would look out of character for him. Jen’s finger tapping pace started to quicken.

“Let’s just say, there’s an actual skeleton of an animal in the place I put on the list. I have no idea how long it’s been there, but it’s definitely there,” a laugh bubbled up from her throat. Daniel was having a hard time comprehending the words that came out of her lips.

“Okay, so you found a dead animal.”

“A dead animal that’s been buried there for a reason. Daniel, it was a lamb.” Her laugh died down as he started to realize what she’s implying.

“And you think David put it there? This is sounding all too incredible to be true, honestly.” And it was. The idea that sweet, naïve David was capable of killing something was beyond him. But it gave him a twisted feeling in his gut. “Let’s say what you’re proposing is right. This doesn’t give us enough proof that he can ascend,” Maybe this was her end goal. Did she want David to come with them?

“No, it doesn’t. But we can work our way around it. And trust me, David put it there. Why else would he be sitting in that place, crying over a rock for hours? I stayed behind when he left and found a little surprise buried under there. Shocking, I know.” She shrugged.

“By now, that thing should be gone. After last night, he should be wise to take it out. But also dumb to do it. If I felt like it, I could’ve followed him but the forest isn’t something I’m acquainted with yet. David would know for sure if someone followed him.” Jen leaned back and stopped drumming her fingers. She looked relieved, as if she just solved a mystery. Daniel’s gotta give it to her. He knew he should’ve been alert when David started leading him around the forest. He probably knew he was doing it on purpose. But why?

“We should be out there right now. They’re going to start suspecting why we aren’t with them soon.” Jen got up and so did Daniel. With newfound information in his head, he’s got a new perspective of David. He’ll have to approach him on this matter, but not too soon. He needs to find out what inner demons David’s been battling.


	7. These words are knives that often leave scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DAVID'S POV. All of it. The whole chapter. Yeah, cool. Also, I'm hoping to end this by 10 chapters. This has been going on long enough xD we shall see what happens then..  
> But for now, enjoy some.. Danvid ;))
> 
> ALSO super duper thank you to everyone who still stuck around for this fic ;;-;; I'm eternally grateful of your love and support. You guys are awesome ^^

The camp counselors succeeded in finding Max, Nikki, and Neil. Jen was the one who heard their plea for help and ran to find David and the others. The trio were stuck in a ditch that wasn’t far off from camp. Nobody knew why it was there or how it came to be there. It was probably one of the campers’ doing, since they were all over the place doing who knows what unsupervised most of the time. But as David loomed over the ditch, he saw it was deep and impossible for one small kid to dig it up without getting stuck down there himself. It’s the perfect trap for anyone who got fooled into walking into it. He’s going to have to fill that hole up later.

“Seriously, what were you kids thinking? You could’ve been hurt,” the campers were all patched up and sitting together on a bench. The camp counselors surrounded them like worried parents. It was Daniel who asked them.

“Yeah, like you’d actually care about that.” Max scoffed and looked away.

“We’re fine! It’s just a scratch,” Nikki complained. In the next second, she was on her feet and hopping around. _This girl has too much energy in her_ , David awed.

“Can you tell us why you were down that hole?” Gwen sighed, clearly tired. They searched for a while without success and strained their voice. Luckily, Jen had to be in the right place at the right time. Thank heavens for her!

“We heard a poor animal crying somewhere not too far. It sounded like a cat,” Neil murmured, embarrassed to be explaining this. “Or a wounded wolf! It could’ve been anything. We tried to follow it, but then we fell and yeah. That’s where you found us.” Ended Nikki, still hopping around.

“I told you guys it wasn’t worth it” Max intervened. “The quartermaster probably had it covered. Maybe he's the source of it! And we were about to walk in on him. Remember last time? Yeah, I don’t want a repeat of that.” Max rolled his eyes and got off the chair. He left without another word and, with an awkward glance at the camp counselors and a wave from Nikki, the other two kids followed him.

Glad that the kids were safe and, for the most part, unharmed, the camp counselors went about their day. Science Appreciation Day was still on, and with the help of three other pairs of hands, it didn’t take them long before they had booths set up. David isn’t familiar with it and he admittedly was poor with the periodic table. He liked biology though, but he didn’t listen enough during his time in school. So he went and dressed up as Einstein instead. He urged his fellow counselors to do the same and with a bit of reluctance from Gwen, the four of them dressed up as goofy scientists.

It was a fun day. Of course, Daniel had to beat him again and he related well with Neil. It was he and Jen who tried out science experiments for the campers to watch in awe. Neil, ever the smart one, had one up his sleeve and took the spotlight. The camp counselors didn’t mind, as long as everyone had their fun. At one point, David sat alone, far from the events. Going around camp with an itchy mustache isn’t the best idea. Taking off his costume, he sat back and watched the campers run off. The brunette watched as Harrison stepped up as well and taught the campers the science of magic.  Or the magic of science, whichever it was.

Someone sidled up beside him. It was Jen who dressed up as Marie Curie. She didn’t put on anything though and said the pony tail was enough. Said blonde brushed her bangs away and looked far off into the distance. David tensed and tried not to show it. Shifting awkwardly and finding a new pose, he too looked at the camp. He hoped the silence would stretch. But that’s going to make it all the more awkward. _I should at least acknowledge her, right?_ He thought.

He nodded at her direction and gave her a light smile. Jen, who caught the action, looked at him from her peripheral vision and gave him a sideways smile. Her piercing blue eyes were so alike to Daniel’s, except they didn’t give him warm feelings. It sent cold dread running up his spine instead.

David observed that Jen and Daniel have been accepted into camp and are now making a place in each of the campers’ hearts. In fact, he’ll admit that camp activities have been much more fun ever since they arrived. Whatever camp they’ve been from before must’ve been a lot different from theirs. More managed, perhaps. Disciplined. Educational. David blushed in shame as he realized Camp Camp may not be as great as he thought it was. But didn’t Daniel mention that their previous camp went down? How could a successful camp such as theirs be... put down?

“Tell me what’s on your mind, David.” Jen asked him, initiating a friendly conversation after minutes of silence. Or was he the only one imagining time stretch between them?

“Just camp things. The kids and their shenanigans. I find it all overwhelming sometimes,” he sighed into his palm, feeling at ease.

“Anything else?” she hummed. David shrugged. He hadn’t been thinking much before she came along. He was looking for some time alone and maybe take a nap. But with so many people around, it’s hard not to be disturbed by them.

“Not really. Everything’s been pretty dandy ever since you and Daniel came up with those cool camp activities,” his neck prickled, knowing he almost crossed a topic he did not want to talk about. “The campers are pretty hyped about it too! It keeps them busy most of the time. But that’s what camp is about. Having fun and learning new stuff.” He turned to her bravely. He realized his fear was irrational and that Jen wasn’t out to get him. _No biggie_ , he reasoned.

“Hmm. Is Daniel on your mind too?” She asked nonchalantly. She seemed to have missed his pause, which was good. The question didn’t register to him at first but when it did, he felt the blood start to rise to his cheeks.

“What makes you think that?” he laughed hesitantly. The girl shrugged and looked at him.

“You seem to be pretty smitten with him,” she suggested. His eyes grew wide. “Or enamored, more like.” Jen added and laughed at the expression on his face. David, unable to keep down the blood in his face, put a hand on his cheek and turned away.

“Heh, well, aren’t you?” he tried to taunt her. David didn’t want to admit the itching jealousy he felt when he saw them together. Of course he’d hang out with Jen. Why should he care what Daniel did?

Her eyebrows furrowed and tilted her head the same way Daniel did. _Gosh, they’re so alike. They even do the same things!_

“You were all up in his space that one time last night. Gwen and I were almost sure you two had a little something something going on,” he jokingly nudged her. As she caught on, Jen started to guffaw.

“No, silly! Y’all were imagining it. Daniel and I are good friends, like you and Gwen are. Unless, you and Gwen are more than friends?” her voice lilted in a questioning manner. The camp counselor smiled as the tension in his shoulders eased. “If we were more than friends, I’d say we were best friends.” David looked back at the campers and found the other counselors with them.

“Good to know,” Jen sighed. Unexplainably, David felt the need to sigh as well. Why did this conversation give him butterflies in his stomach? The two of them continued their little chit chat. It was reluctant at first when they started asking about the other’s friend. Jen wanted to know more about Gwen, and David wanted to know more about Daniel. But it soon came to a point where none of them were bothered by the fact that they were asking personal questions.

The two camp counselors gossiped and laughed. David felt the start of a new friendship. _Jen’s hilarious to talk to_ , he thought. From her, he learned things about Daniel that he knew the blonde would never tell him. And he too gave up a few secrets he learned of Gwen that made the other giggle. The two unlikely pair grew closer than they realized. As the sun started to set and the counselors—or what’s left of them­—started to clean up the mess, Jen and David got up from their seats with a newfound closure.

“Thanks for leaving us with all that crap to deal with,” Gwen deadpanned.

“It wasn’t that bad. The kids learned something new today, all thanks to our scientist, Neil.” Daniel piped up. Seeing Gwen and Daniel, a more unlikely pair sharing in each other’s misery, made the camp counselor smile. “I’m sorry guys. I guess I just needed a small break.” David rubbed the back of his neck in shame. It was more than just a small break and they knew it.

“Don’t give him a hard time. I was lounging around too,” Jen flipped her hand and went to link arms with Gwen. _Wow, that close already?_

“Gwenny! When do we start that Doctor Who marathon?” and at that, Gwen’s eyes sparkled. She babbled on as the duo walked farther and farther away from him and Daniel.

“Guys? We’ll see you for dinner?” David called out unsuccessfully. As expected, the girls ignored him. It was worth a try.

“So, what did you and Jen talk about?” turning back, he saw Daniel lounging on one of the chairs; hand on the table and legs crossed like he’s been waiting for a while. David took an involuntary once over and felt himself blush. Daniel might or might not have given him a smirk. He was busy trying not to stare too much.

So he sat beside him, then made the mistake of sitting too near. He felt his skin prickle when he accidentally brushed his hand against the other man’s arm. David scooted away an inch, hoping he doesn’t notice.

“Jen and I? Oh, we talked about things. She asked a lot about Gwen though and I just shared some of my experiences with her,” David relaxed. “I think that’s what makes her and Gwen so close. Maybe they share some things with one another. It really brings two people together, don’t you agree?” He smiled at him. Daniel hummed.

“I disagree. Sharing personal information with someone can be slippery. You don’t know them enough to trust them. It could lead to your possible downfall.” The blonde stared at the darkening sky. He fixed his posture and put his hand between them.

“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” After a few seconds of trying to decipher what the blonde said, David asked. “In order to gain someone’s trust, you have to show them you trust them. It’s not a one-sided process.”

“But at what cost?” Daniel turns to him. “Will a secret so dark ensure a bond with another if you say you trust them?” He turns in his seat, giving the camp counselor his full attention. David suddenly feels overwhelmed with his gaze on him and is rendered speechless.

“What if it was a secret that could potentially break your connection with other people? Something that’s out of the norm and... unaccepted by society. Let’s say I told you something like that,” he looks down for a second, contemplating.

“Would you still be my friend?” Uncertainty fills his blue eyes. For the first time, David didn’t see the perfect guy sitting before him. Not the always smiling blonde boy who was just as eager as him to start the day. He saw something, a flaw, that unveiled itself. He felt... relieved, that someone like Daniel is as human as he; that he isn’t just an empty husk. He hid some things of his own.

Maybe that’s what compelled him to do it. It gave him an excuse to lean over and wrap his arms around the man. He tucked his head on his shoulder and gave him the biggest hug. “Of course, Daniel. No matter what you tell me, I’ll never look at you in any other way.” It was like this for a few seconds, just him hugging the white clad counselor. He felt him rigid but slowly, Daniel wrapped one arm around him.

“It was just a scenario, David. But thank you. I’m glad you think that of me.” He felt the other chuckle, his chest vibrating from laughter. It was inappropriate timing for him to go red in the face at that moment. David his hid face, still unaware of how long they’ve been in each other’s arms.

“That’s what friends are for,” he mumbled but with his face squeezed in between Daniel’s shoulder and neck, it came out inaudible.

“Sure, whatever you say.” And Daniel hasn’t let go either. The brunette’s heart jumped at their contact. Neither of them wanted to move away, yet as time passed, the duration of friendly hugs have passed. Still not wanting to separate from the blonde, he let his arm fall and kept the other one intact around Daniel as he turned to watch the sky with him. His head fell on his shoulder, testing if he’d allow it.

“It’s amazing, don’t you think?” Daniel asked, head tilted up. The sky was now a dark purple as the last of the sun rays slowly disappear.

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ve seen anything better. Gosh, this happens every day and I’m always holed up somewhere else, missing this spectacular show.” He sighed dreamily.

“Oh, the sunset?” Daniel asked. “I guess it’s nice too. I was talking about the ability of some people to trust so easily. They're like moths drawn to a flame. We all do it at some point but in the end, it ends up hurting us.” His words jabbed him. David shifted in his place to look at Daniel.

“And just like a moth, it’ll keep coming back when the flame is lit after it is blown out. Again and again. We might as well stop before it kills us,” his mood darkened and his eyes stared at the horizon unblinking. David lifted his head and realized Daniel’s grip on him had tightened. He was starting to feel nervous.

“Daniel, that’s not true.” At the sound of his voice, whatever spell he got in was broken as he stared at David.

“I’ll keep you away from the flame, if you do the same for me.” It felt like a confession. Just the two of them in that very moment, holding each other. It’s true. Whatever happens, he will always be there to keep Daniel safe from harm. He’ll be the anchor to his sanity. He’ll help him... because he means so much to him.

It was quick of an assumption to think Daniel even felt something for him. But at that moment, all doubts have melted as he saw his friend smile. No trace of disgust on his face, but acceptance.

 _Is this the part where I kiss him?_ A small anxious voice in his head interrupted the moment. Before he could panic, someone else broke the silence.

“David, where the hell are you?! I’m starving over here!” yelled Max from afar. The two camp counselors jumped apart just in time for the camper in the blue hoodie to come around the corner.

“Ugh, finally! Gwen locked her door and her TV’s turned all the way up. Fucking Matt Smith and his glorious face,” he huffed.

“Oh! My apologies. David and I’ll be right there,” Daniel stood and stretched.

“Hey, what the hell are you doing here with him?” Max snapped, pointing a finger at Daniel. “This psychotic cunt shouldn’t be out at this hour, especially not with you. I swear David, if we were all in a horror slasher film, you’re the first one to go down.” He facepalmed and walked away.

“How do you deal with him?” Daniel asked, clearly unamused with Max. David shrugged, “He’s a handful but I understand him and I kinda just let him do what he wants. It helps with coping.” he tugged the other’s hand as he made his way to the mess hall.

“I guess it’s just you and me tonight.” David smiled, unaware of how he intertwined their fingers together.

“I guess so, friend.” Daniel smiled back. “But we’re totally making Gwen and Jen take over tomorrow night.”

“Definitely,” David laughed.


	8. Bury me till I confess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daniel's POV in the beginning. Also, I might have to change the rating for this... heh. It's gonna take a wild turn from here on out.  
> I can't wait to maybe write another fanfic? I feel like there are certain points where I held back because of the fanfic's plot. But whatever the case, I'm glad I got to write something like this! I also changed up Jasper's death since I had no other ideas to put in. So yeah, onto this chapter!

The next morning, Daniel deliberately avoided the brunette. He slept in and didn't answer the door when he knocked. He felt bad about it—an asshole, even—but he had to supress these.. otherworldly desires he felt for him. Daniel's heart feels like it could explode from all the pumping. It wanted to break out of his rib cage. That was a scary thought.

Worst of all, he smiled. Not the forced grins he made to deceive other people to like him. It was genuine giddiness that forced a smile on his face. Along with that terrible feeling—butterflies! His stomach had tons of those ugly little creatures. He'd spit them all out if he could.

But he can't. And it's David who seems to be making him feel this way. Those auburn locks, those soft green eyes. It was torture! Everything was in high definition whenever he was around. All he could see was him and him and him! Not even Jen's annoying voice could penetrate his thoughts. And speaking of which...

"Daniel!" she singsonged from outside his cabin. It was already 10 AM. He faked a convincing cough loud enough for other people outside his door to hear.

"My my, coming down with a terrible cough?" she exaggerated this question. He wondered if it was to put up a show. She didn't care if he got sick. The feeling's mutual. He heard other voices. David was certainly there, worried for him. The counselor tossed in his bed and put the blanket over his head.

 _This is your fault_ , he thought.

A knock. "Daniel, you better let us in. If you really are sick, you'll need all the treatment you can get!" It was David. He made no response.

"I'll watch him," Jen offered from outside.

“Um, that’s nice of you, Jen. But I think it’d be best if you stuck around camp with Gwen and let me—“

“Oh, no, you’re not going anywhere. It’s your turn to watch the kids, David. Let Jen take care of Daniel,” Gwen interrupted. His chest tightened and it felt odd. What was he feeling?

“But…”

“It’s okay, David. You’ll get next watch once I patch him up.”  Then some more inaudible talking. At that point, Daniel decided he was glad it was Jen who’s going to enter his room. _I don’t think I’d be able to handle being in the same room as David_. He palmed his face and groaned.

Footsteps started to recede until there was only silence. For sure, Jen stood alone outside.

“Let me in, drama queen,” she pounded on the door. He rolled his eyes and got off the bed, opened the door to her Cheshire-like grin and was compelled to slam the door on her face. But instead, he left it open and went back to bed.

“What seems to be the problem this time?” She asked as she closed the door. “Getting blue-balled? Is it unrequited love?” Jen gasped. “Or did you finally realize we’ve been in this camp for _weeks_ and haven’t slain a single child?” That brought out a chuckle in him.

“All of the above.” He looked out his window to see Gwen and David entering the mess hall. He drew them close.

“Should I even ask how you know about my infatuation with...” he trailed off. The cultist wondered if she knew who he was having feelings for, or if she was merely testing him to see if her speculations were true. _Too late now_ , he thought.

“David. I’ve seen the way you look at him. It’s stupid,” she sat down on one of the chairs. “The way your pupils grow wide and the smile that hitches up a tad bit bigger than your usual smile. God, it’s sickening.” She laughed. She dusted off her pink blouse and went quiet. She must’ve figured out Daniel had let her ramble. It wasn’t a daily occurrence.

“But we can both be stupid.” Her words were so soft that Daniel had to strain to hear it. He glanced at her direction. The blonde girl had crossed her arms and was looking at the floor. “It’s something to keep us entertained for the duration of our stay. This isn’t love. It’s temptation.” She wasn’t talking about Daniel anymore. He knew she was berating herself, but for what? Having felt the same way as he?

“Gwen can be so stupid,” she laughed bitterly.

Then he understood. Both of them had been suffering the same fate. It had been plaguing his mind the same way it plagued Jen’s. In a way, they had been walking the same road. But had she been indulging in it the same way as he? The interaction with David from last night was borderline tantalizing, yet he did not pull away. It was too much and he still yearned more.

Suddenly, he thought of the times she and Gwen hung out for the entire day, how they stayed by each other’s side. She gave Gwen smiles she’d never direct at anybody else, certainly not at him despite the bond they shared.

“You’re having those thoughts too. About Gwen,” he began to smirk. The shit-eating grin on his face was enough to tip Jen off. She lunged at him. The camp counselor half expected her to draw a dagger from behind her back, but upon landing, Jen snuggled the pillow next to him and groaned into it.

“I hate it!” she seemed to say although the pillow muffled it.

“You’re such a child,” he muttered and rolled onto his other side. He had a feeling this is one of those days where Jen isn’t ready to stab him in the back yet. He exposes said back to ignore her moping.

“I’d kill myself if that were the case,” she replied. “Tell me about your little toy. Did you get any info from Davey?”

“I gauged his reaction last night. Tried to watch the signs you told me to look out for,” Jen had taught Daniel how to read emotion behind human eyes during their free time. When he wasn’t being pestered by any of the campers, Jen would come up to him and test how well he knew. She asked him to read hers. It was difficult. Jen never showed any genuine emotion. She faked it and she taught him how.

Going back to their discussion, he remembers the tiniest flicker of fear in David’s eyes. He wasn’t sympathetic. He recognized the situation Daniel laid out for him. He was alarmed.

But during the time David laid next to him, vulnerable and weak, he saw something else in his eyes. Pupils blown wide and dilated when they were inches apart. He was in love, and that sobered Daniel up. He didn’t mean for him to fall for him, and vice versa. But what’s done is done, and he’ll follow wherever the hell his heartstrings are pulling him to.

“You were right. I hate to say it but you were fucking right, Jen.” He turns to her. “David’s hiding something and we need to break it out of him. This could be our chance to change him.”

. . . . .

Jen occasionally came back with medicine intended to cure cough but she stashed it away in one of their bags. Could be useful once they hit the road and away from Camp Campbell. Assuming they continue their plan of slaughtering the campers. They spent the afternoon and early evening holed up in Daniel’s room, talking about possible ways they could kill the campers off one by one. Sometimes, David would knock and he’d ask to see him. So far, Jen had declined and insisted he wait another day.

As night took over, the cultist grew bored of staying locked up. Without Jen around, he decided to sneak off. There was a light drizzle and the ground was damp. He took a deep breath and savoured the petrichor around him. He stared at the night sky, then inspected the campers’ tents. Empty. They must be in the mess hall taking shelter. _In this condition, I might actually catch the cold_. He deadpanned and started walking towards the hall.

Just as he opened the door, lightning flashed and the rumble of thunder shook the ground. All of the campers attention was on him. _What a cliché_ , he thought and laughed.

“Holy fuck, Daniel. You couldn’t have timed it any better. Next time, open the door slowly so you don’t give all of us a heart attack.” Max yelled from across the room. Space Kid, who had fallen off his chair, had now crawled back up. Preston cleaned up his mess after knocking over his glass. It was quite an entrance.

“Daniel!” came a blur of green and he was knocked back. “How are you feeling?” David asked.

“You walked all the way here without an umbrella?” Gwen asked from their table. David backed up and now noticed his damp white clothes. He almost laughed when his face heated up.

“Sorry, I kind of felt trapped in that room. Needed some space to breathe. But I’m fine. Jen had been a huge help,” he winked at her. When nobody watched, Jen smiled and gave him the finger.

“Well, that’s great! But we should get you off of those clothes before you get sicker. It’s unhealthy, you know.” Looking over his shoulder, Daniel saw Gwen and Jen’s surprised faces. Gwen could barely hold in her laughter. Jen was giving him a devious smile. David didn’t catch the double meaning behind his words.

“Yeah! Hey, why don’t you take this and help him?” Jen exclaimed sarcastically. She stood and threw an umbrella their way. Since David was so preoccupied with staring at him, Daniel caught the umbrella. He could’ve thrown it back at her head. Could have.

“That’s a great idea! Come on, Daniel. Let’s give you some nice, warm clothes.” He took the umbrella from him and exited. The cultist led the brunette to his cabin and once they entered, he noticed the raindrops started to fall faster. It was the perfect setup to corner David. A few hours ago, he was ready to dash at the sight of him. But after confronting his “feelings”, he learned to calm his racing heart.

He sat on his bed and let David rummage through his closet. Inside is an array of white wardrobe; from white collared shirts, to faded white jeans. The camp counselor picked a pair for him and laid it out on his bed.

“You could use a dash of color, you know,” he mused.

“I could, but I prefer not to.” He took said pair and contemplated going to the bathroom. For the sake of his pride, he left the room and changed. He went back to see David sitting idly on his bed, staring at his closet.

“You should try our camp shirts. It might look good on you,” he turned. “We have stock of em’ in the mess hall’s attic. I should get you a pair,” he stood but when David looked out the window, rain had started to pour. “Maybe tomorrow?” he offered.

The white clad counselor shrugged. “Why not?”

They shared the bed a bit reluctantly when they saw the heavy downpour outside. There’s nothing they can do but wait it out. David started a light conversation and kept at it. Daniel decided to enlighten the other boy. He thought it was possible to gain his trust this way. As time ticked by and the rain had no signs of letting up, David made the first bold move. He moved closer and brushed his hand against his.

“Remember when you asked if I’d still be your friend even after telling me a terrible secret?” David asked. One glance at him gave him the idea that he did not want to look at him. He was treading in a dangerous territory and Daniel has to play along.

“Mhm,”

“Would you do the same for me?” Still not looking. Daniel trailed his finger down the brunette’s hand and slowly wound it through his. This got him to look at him.

“I would. Nothing in this earth could change the way I feel about you, not even mind-blowing secrets,” he chuckled nervously and turned away to hide the embarrassment he felt. _Just... what the hell did I say?_

“Daniel,” the brunette crooned and held his hand tighter. This is a positive sign. He should keep going. His heart beat faster as he gathered his words.

“I’m serious. These past few days, I feel like I’ve connected with you. You get me and I enjoy your company a lot,” inside, he was choking himself for sounding cheesy. He gulped inaudibly.

“I can’t believe this,” David muttered, but he didn’t sound disbelieving. “Thank you. You too mean a lot to me.” He blushed. “Um, but there’s one question I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

“Go on.” Daniel dreaded his reply. Was this going to a confession? What did he get himself into?

“I’ve been hearing it go around. Kids love to make guesses, don’t they?” He gave a nervous chuckle. “I don’t want to make any assumptions and I wanted to ask you first,” he took a deep breath. “Daniel, are you actually a cultist?”

That was unexpected. For a second, he expected him to ask if he and Jen were dating or something along those lines. He almost laughed. Hadn’t he a clue?

“If I tell you, what would you make of me?” He smiled in a way that didn’t quite reach his eyes. It was as if their moment had been thrown out the window. He still has an objective; to take the lives of Camp Campbell’s residents. If David was going to stand in his way, he’ll have to... eliminate him. But the idea gave his guts a harsh twist. It didn’t feel right. He didn’t _want_ to.

Instead, the other boy smiled. “It changes nothing. What you’ve been to me these past few days won’t change. Everyone seems to like you! It doesn’t matter what you did in the past,” he looked away. “Being a cultist doesn’t seem all that bad.” He added awkwardly.

“In that case, yes, I am,” his grip on his hand tightened. “But I wouldn’t harm a single hair on you.” he blurted out. To demonstrate said affection, he brought him close for a hug. Daniel was thankful he could not see his face at the moment. The camp counselor surprisingly wound his arms around him to cuddle. They laid in each other’s arms as the downpour continued. It was dark, cold, and they sought out warmth from the other.

“Would you hate me if I told you a secret?” David mumbled on his shoulder.

“I told you a million times already, silly,” Daniel felt a burst of laughter from him. “I would never,” he reassured him. And he didn’t lie.

“I did a terrible thing,” he mumbled, and Daniel almost missed it. But their distance from each other was so small that he heard every word. This is the moment of truth.

“I did worse things,” Daniel tried to lighten up the mood. He received a light-hearted punch from him.

“This is killing me. I... failed to save someone,” the cultist waited for him to elaborate. “You see, I had this friend.” He turned in his arms to look at the ceiling. The thunder rumbled overhead. David opened up and told him the day that changed his life. It started off by awarding some kid named Jasper and how later on, they entered the woods with Cameron Campbell. This new friend of his accidentally slipped and David tried to reach out to him.

 _So, a tragedy?_ Daniel thought. But as he continued, the brunette’s mood darkened.

“For a split second, I thought about leaving him there. I was so jealous of the attention he got. I was just the troubled kid. He was the star of the camp, and I was nothing. I thought of a world where Jasper was gone and I got the attention. I savoured it. I didn’t reach out further and watched as he slipped off that branch. It was a long fall,” he stopped, and choked on his tears.

“I didn’t mean to leave him there.” He repeated over and over.

The cultist patted and massaged small circles on his back. He let the other cry. He’s in his most vulnerable state and Daniel has to be his anchor at the moment. He doesn’t say a word. Any form of reassurance from him will sound false. Obviously it wasn’t okay, so he kept his mouth shut.

“I knew I couldn’t stand it. The guilt ate me from the inside. Never forgave myself. It woke me up at ungodly hours at night,” David dried his tears and inhaled. “That’s why I tried to bring him back. I failed. I turned to... other dark things. It took a toll on me. I wanted to fix things and rewind time. I didn’t say a proper apology to him. But I didn’t know how rituals worked.”

He kept rambling, forgetting that it was becoming all too personal. Daniel listened to every word intently to figure him out; to figure out who _exactly_ is David and what kind of life he lived. What horrors plagued him and what made up the entirety of him. So he listened, hope blooming in his chest for a chance of his redemption. He could cleanse him of his problem and that way, he could persuade him to join their side.

“I gutted a lamb, just like my sources told me to do. I didn’t have very reliable sources since I was an amateur,” he covered his face. “It didn’t feel right, Daniel! It... was disgusting. I cried and I didn’t want to do it, but I did. I wanted to fix things with Jasper so badly that I tried desperately. It never worked. I buried up my shame along with the carcass once the sun started to peek. I failed to reunite with him, and took an innocent animal’s life.”

Then the waterfall of tears ran down his cheek. His back was turned to him. Daniel scooted close and tried to rub his back reassuringly.

“There there,” he consoled sympathetically. But on his face was the biggest smile. He got what he wanted to hear from the other boy. After some time of grieving, the two camp counselors savoured each other’s company for god knows how long. The digital clock on his stand read 12 PM and he was still in bed with David. The other had fallen asleep, comfortable in his embrace.

 _Goodnight, Davey_ , he smiled as he drifted off to sleep beside him.

* * *

 

**David**

It’s been a day since he confessed—not one, but two confessions!—to Daniel. _I don’t think it was much of a confession though_? Since he hasn’t proclaimed his undying love for him yet. What he told Daniel was the darkness that enveloped him. It wrapped him from the inside and nobody could see it. It rotted away, just like his guilt on that night. It rotted, but it never left him.

And now he opened it once more. _If Daniel really is a cultist,_ he thought selfishly _, then he shouldn’t be repulsed by it. He’s the only one who’d understand. Gwen could never stomach anything like that_. He beat himself up about it the morning after. But to his relief, Daniel stopped ignoring him and stayed by his side. Even now when they were watching the campers run back and forth in their little game of pass the message. Gwen and Jen sat on opposite ends, with Gwen being the messenger and Jen being the receiver.

By the end of their activities, they all gathered infront of the mess hall. It provided shade from the sun and they sat down to catch their breath. The kids went about their business, shoving and knocking each other over, like Harrison and Neil. Others stood by and talked idly, like Ered, Dolf, and Preston. One particular kid, Nurf, started beating the hell out of Space Kid. He was all hyped after the game and took it out on the poor boy. It was a daily occurrence and David’s heart always softened at the sight of Daniel coming to the boy’s aid. He had grown a fondness for Space Kid, as David did with Max. It was so endearing to see.

“Max, you little shit, come back here!” yelled Gwen, breaking his reverie.

“Heeeeell no.” Said the boy as he ran ahead of her. He was carrying a small notebook with Gwen’s name on it. “Who knows what crazy shit you put in here?” he cackled. He pretended to open it and read the contents when he heard Gwen scream.

“Oooh, I love a good chase.” Jen laughed as she joined in. It became a blur as kids start to chase one another and David was laughing at the silliness of it all. He lost track of who chased who, and who was running ahead first. He realized he’s all worn out after the games and stretched. _Maybe a splash of water to the face will do the trick_ , he thought and bounded off to their cabins, eager to wash the grime and sweat from his face.

A hand grabbed his arm just as he was about to pass a corner, and pulled him aside, hidden from the other campers. His mouth was covered too as his abductor pressed against his back, away from view.

“We need to talk.”


	9. You're guaranteed to run this town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wHOAAA entire chapter is in David's POV. BUT WHOAAA I'm one chapter away from ending this fic oh nooo. And guess what?  
> I'VE GOT THE LAST CHAPTER ALL FIGURED OUT omo I'm itching to write it rn. I'd be so evil tho.. oh no.. time to add the tags.  
> So um.. yo, it's been a long ride. I love you guys and I hope y'all don't kill me fOR THE END. I really think y'all are cool for giving kudos and the comments.  
> But I ask that you spare me in the end bc holee shit OKAY LET'S GO ON WITH THIS CHAPTER.  
> *internal crying*

David’s alarms went off as he tried to wiggle his way out of his captor’s arms. One minute, he was holding hands with the most beautiful man on earth and the next, he was being held captive. He was tossed in his own cabin and he stumbled forward. He heard the door lock shut behind him.

“Stop your squirming, boy.” He knew that voice.

“It’s ridiculous. You look like you’ve been kidnapped by a deranged criminal,” followed by a bellowing laugh.

“Cameron Campbell, sir!” He turned around and stood on shaky knees. He saluted. The camp founder waved his hand to dismiss him.

“How’s the whole camp, Davey? Everything good?”

“Yes sir!” He proceeded to give him a recap of the events that have happened in the weeks he was gone, only to be interrupted by the man leaning on the door.

“How are our new recruits doing?” He was inspecting his nails. When David hesitated, nervous to confess he may have feelings for a co-worker, the founder looked at him.

“Everything’s swell! The campers have cozied up to them and I feel like camp has been—“

“Perfect?” Cameron finished. David felt uneasy being interrupted like that but nodded. The camp founder pushed off from the door and walked closer to him.

“I’ve only got a few minutes, so listen closely.” He gave him a grave look. “One of your new recruits is trouble. Haven’t you been checking the newspapers?” At this, he tossed him a copy. It was dated almost a month ago when they hired Daniel. He flipped through the papers. _Ah, yes. I remember Muffin Topz offered a fairly good deal with the all-you-can-eat shrimp and steak!_ He smiled and kept flipping, until he saw Daniel’s face on the print.

He felt his blood turn cold. A shiver ran down his spine. This... was the real Daniel. The Daniel before everything that happened between them. In bold letters, it read:

**ENTHUSIASTIC CULT LEADER LEAVES ENTIRE COMPOUND DEAD!**

“We’ve got a murderer hiding out in our camp.” He crossed his arms. “Have you thought of what would happen once the police finds out he's been here all along? What of the camp's reputation afterwards?” David looked at his feet in shame. What was he supposed to say?

“Fire Daniel. He better be gone when I get back, or I’m kicking your ass out of camp.” Came the only option given to him. He looked up to defend the blonde, but Cameron turned the doorknob and was out in seconds. The brunette’s heart shattered as he was at a loss on what to do next. He was torn between obeying the man that had been akin to a father to him since he was young, and protecting the man who understood him inside and out and whom he fell for.

Before his feelings grew for the other, it had been a quick decision of his to kick Daniel out of camp. He made up his mind in a second. But... why couldn’t he do it now? Would he dare defy Cameron Campbell?

He hesitated. The camp counselor for once did not have an answer to his problem. He’ll have to stall and find his own solution.

. . . . .

He sat outside by the lake while the other campers gathered in the mess hall that afternoon. Gwen had them all sorted out, and as much as David wanted to be there beside her, he was afraid he'd get distracted and it'd show on his face. Thoughts in his head warred against each other and he had no idea whom to side on. Ever since Cameron Campbell surprised him with a visit and told him what everyone suspected of Daniel, he was only given one option; to send him away.

Even after hearing it from Cameron Campbell, it didn’t come as a huge surprise as it should. Daniel beat him to it. It’s one thing for someone to confess their actions and another thing to hear it from someone else. Maybe that’s why he had faith in his co-counselor.

He didn't want him to go. He wouldn't let that happen. Frustrated, he dipped his hand in the water. Playing by the lake always soothed him. _Maybe Daniel could change his ways_ , he thought reluctantly. But so far, the other man hasn't shown any signs of being suspicious. If he was being honest, he even looked chipper that before.

The thought made his heart swell. Did he realize how fun camp actually is and decided to let go of being murderous? David doubted that. Now it all made sense to him. The suspicious punch, the brain washing, the dagger. Then his breath hitched. Daniel intended to kill him too along with the others. He was going to take innocent lives, if it weren't for Gwen arriving on time.

His mood shifted again and he was back to square one. His feelings raged and he sat forlornly on the dock, waving his hand in the water and watching his reflection. What should he make of Daniel? Did it mean something now that he showed signs of affection for him? The camp counselor hoped so. There's a chance he could still change him, if that's what it took to keep him employed. His hand stopped swaying.

"But what if I don't want him to change?" he muttered quietly to himself. His inner turmoil vanished, replaced by visions of Daniel being overprotective of him; Daniel being ready to kill and maim whoever dared touch or look at David the wrong way. The thrill of wanting it gave him goose bumps. It was oh so _wrong_ to have such insane desires. But he craved them. And he knew Daniel can fulfill those desires.

“You busy over there?”

Surprised, he turned around to see the devil himself. Daniel sat beside him and bumped his shoulder lightheartedly. “Not really. Just admiring the view,” as he said it, he couldn’t help keep his eyes off the other. Daniel met his eyes and he laughed. Golly, it was music to his ears.  His face flushed in embarrassment.

“Gee, David. I’m flattered,” came his amused reply.

“That’s not what I meant,” he defended himself.

“If it helps, I think the view is pretty damn amazing too,” he offered, giving him an obvious once over.

David knew his face was on fire. If their playful banter went on like this, he’d be a puddle by the end of it. “Danny, watch your language.” He chastised the blonde.

This only made the white clad counselor guffaw. This is what David lived for. Being in Daniel’s company and relaxing out in the woods. It’s not like camp was terrible either. He looked forward to starting a new day at camp every day! There was just so many possibilities. But he needed his downtime too. And who would say no to time with Daniel? Gosh, wasn’t he just a fanboy.

“But in all honesty, I came here to... propose a proposition for you,” Daniel started. “What if I told you I could help you reach your objective in life?”

David gasped. “Be the greatest camp counselor this camp has ever seen and inspire kids to follow in my footsteps?” He gushed in childlike wonder.

The blonde stared at him for a second, then cracked a smile. “No, silly. I meant overcoming an obstacle you’ve had in your life.” He wove his hand around David’s. “Specifically, one you’ve recently mentioned.”

 _Oh_. That obstacle. He was talking about the Jasper incident. He was rendered speechless and unconsciously gripped the blonde’s hand. He still had mixed feelings about that memory. It was a dark day and David wasn’t himself. He was overcome with despair and was desperate. Was Daniel offering to help set things right?

“I’m sorry to bring it up so suddenly. I haven’t given you time to recover,” Daniel apologized. “But please consider my offer.” They shared a moment where neither spoke nor looked at each other. They sat idly and faced forward with their hands clasped together. David didn’t know what to make of it.

The meeting with Cameron Campbell came to his mind. _Fire him_ , he said. Daniel is a potential threat to camp and everyone around him. But the boy beside him didn’t look like he fit the description. _Looks can be deceiving_ , he learned that lesson long ago and knew it himself. The brunette applied that lesson in his life when he found out being miserable completely changed him as a person. So he hid his misery behind a smile, and momentarily forgot it.

But not all things forgotten are lost. To vanquish it, he’ll have to confront it once more. This time, he’ll draw strength from the person who’ll anchor him down—the person who cared so much to help him overcome his shadow.

“Tell me how.” He broke the silence.

This got Daniel’s attention. Just as he was opening his mouth, another voice interrupted them.

“David! Daniel! The mess hall just got really messy!” Preston shouted as he ran towards them. There was an odd stain on his shirt as he got closer.

“What?” David quickly got on his feet and helped the blonde up.

“Nurf started a food fight and Max threw his shit back. Then everyone started throwing and ugh! I’ve been victimized.” He flailed his arms and dramatically fell on his knees.

“Wasn’t Gwen there to monitor you guys?” David furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Yeah, lot of help she was,” Preston muttered from the ground. He got up and dusted off the dirt. “She got fed up too and started throwing shit around.”

“Language,” David scolded lightly, but he was more concerned with what was happening at the moment.

“Just hurry your ass back in the hall!” Preston yelled as he took off in the same direction he came from. David sighed and turned to the other.

“Can we talk later?” He asked.

“Of course. Meet me at my cabin tonight.” Daniel smiled.

They both ran to the mess hall and opened the doors to see the aftermath of the events. Substance that had been mashed together dripped on the walls. The ceiling had bits of food stuck on it. The floor was a sticky mess and the tables have been turned over as barricades. The campers were separated into two groups and had hid behind the tables. They were tired out but some were still flinging food around.

The brunette saw Max just as he was about to throw a handful of mashed potatoes.

“Max!” He crossed his arms and scolded. “Everyone, please!”

Yet, he went unnoticed as the kids began to shriek and throw again. Gwen had hid behind the kitchen counter and held a pan in defense. She caught David’s eye and stood. She too tried to get the campers attention but was given the same treatment.

_Slimey, troublemaking little—_

He jumped as the doors behind him slammed with an intensity that almost shook the entire mess hall. This got everybody’s eyes on him. No, not him. As he turned, he saw the culprit to be Daniel.  The co-counselor cleared his throat.

“I see we’ve got a problem on our hands.” His eyes swept the room and met everyone’s stare. The food that some of the kids held now dropped to the floor. “Who started the fight?” And just like that, the kids grew silent. Their hands pointed at either Max or at the other kid hiding behind the opposite table, Nurf.

“I think when a problem like this arises, it’s appropriate to give out a penalty to the mischief makers.” He turned and looked at David. It took him a moment to realize the co-counselor was asking him for permission to punish them. _No_ , he almost said out loud. He then became clouded with guilt when he realized he thought Daniel would harm them.

He nodded silently.

That was all the confirmation Daniel needed. He turned back to the campers now with a look of superiority. “Pick up a rag and a bucket and start cleaning, all of you.” He bellowed in an authoritative tone. Immediately, all the kids started moving. David was frozen on his spot as he watched the events unfold. Daniel was the first to ever stop a commotion such as that quickly. Usually it took him and Gwen several tries and even then, still failed. Heck, there was one time the kids took over camp and they were helpless to stop it.

This gave David an odd feeling and was in awe with Daniel more. His show of dominance sent blood rushing to his face. As if he couldn’t get any more attracted to him.

Daniel points at Max and Nurf. “You two, pick up a toothbrush. You'll be brushing this place squeaky clean."

He heard complaints from the two but one look from Daniel quieted them and sent them running off to find a toothbrush.

“Daniel, that was amazing!” said Gwen as she burst out of the kitchen and came to them. “We seriously need more people like you around. They never listen to me and David,” She scratched the back of her head.

The blonde laughed and waved his hand. “Nonsense. It’s what we’re trained to do. Speaking of which, I thought Jen was with you.”

“Huh?” She dropped her hand. “I thought she was with you.”

The door opened and in came Jen in all her glory. “Sorry for being late to the party! But something happened and I just—” She bounced and stopped when she met everyone’s eye. “What’d I miss?” She blinked innocently.

“Well, we sort of had a problem here until we came and Daniel put a stop to it. Say, where were you during all of this?” David frowned.

“Oh my gosh, I am so sorry,” her eyes widened. “As I was saying, I saw a baby bird on the ground and I helped it up back into its nest. I strayed from camp a bit ‘cause the chirping caught my attention.” She said. The brunette relaxed and patted her on the shoulder.

“That’s alright, Jen. You did a good job but please don’t just leave camp without warning us. We could’ve helped you,” David said.

“Yeah, I know. Woopsies.” She apologized.

The camp counselors went about their day and even lend a hand during the clean up. The mess hall stunk of food and drinks but at least they scraped out most of the mess. By evening, everyone was winded and had no energy to set foot in the mess hall after today’s events.

Gwen had set out a campfire and cooked their canned goods. The quartermaster surprised them when he came by and dropped a bucket of fishes. Turned out he’s been out and fishing. It was fortunate for the campers to eat something after their shenanigans in the mess hall. They all ate in peace and shared stories with one another over the fire. The night was getting darker and they huddled closer to the fire. Of course, for dessert, they brought out a pack of marshmallows and roasted them in the fire. David chose his spot next to Daniel of course and brushed his arm against his when he thought nobody was looking. He saw Daniel’s smile tug higher on his lips whenever they made contact and it pulled on his heartstrings.

He doesn’t know what to label the thing between them. They haven’t said anything to confirm any relationships, but David sure wouldn’t mind. He didn’t have to rush Daniel. He can bide his time and wait till the other is comfortable enough.

 _You’re in love with a murderer?_ Cameron Campbell’s voice infiltrated his mind. Suddenly, his cheery mood dropped. _You’re just as sick as him. You killed an innocent animal!_ He felt tears threatening to spill and he sucked in a breath. Daniel must’ve heard as he jerked his head in his direction.

“Hey, are you alright?” A protective arm wound around the brunette as he asked him quietly so that nobody else heard him. David pursed his lips and nodded. Obviously he wasn’t. And Daniel sensed it.

“We can go back to my place and talk about it. What’dya say?” He whispered in his ear. Golly, his voice gave him shivers. _That would be pleasant_ , he thought. He nodded. He remembered they still had other things to talk about. Now would be the time to excuse themselves.

“Going so soon?” Jen whined as the duo stood from their logs.

“Yeah, sorry to bother you guys. I don’t feel all that good,” David said.

Gwen eyed him and Daniel suspiciously but didn’t utter a word, especially when her eyes landed on Daniel’s hand on his hips. _Oh gosh_. He jerked away and started walking to Daniel’s cabin, the other following behind him.

“Have a nice night, you guys!” shouted Gwen from afar, mockery in her voice. He’s pretty sure he heard snickers after that. His face flushed and he covered it with his palms. He can feel Daniel’s stare on him.

“I hope you haven’t forgotten my proposition.” He started.

“I haven’t. So, tell me your plan of action.” David replied. He looked back when the white clad counselor hasn’t replied.

“It’s better if we talk about it in my cabin where it’s safe.” Daniel said after a moment. The brunette remembered the surveillance system again and thought if Cameron Campbell had the time to set them up in Daniel’s cabin after he found out he was a criminal. _No, I doubt it. He seemed like he was in a rush_. But wasn’t he near the cabins when he got kidnapped by him?

“Hold on.” David stopped and held a hand out. “I think we should talk outside your cabin.”

“What’s wrong?” Daniel furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. _Should I tell him?_ Why not? He’s already come to terms with loving a killer.

“Cameron Campbell came by and warned me about you,” he said. The blonde’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure if he’s done something else before approaching me. He could’ve placed any cameras or recording devices in your cabin while you were out, just to monitor how suspicious you really were.” He confessed.

“Oh,” muttered Daniel. It was so uncharacteristic of him to say one-word sentences. The blonde looked like he had many things to say, but didn’t know where to start. So David smiled and took his hand.

“I think I know a place where it’s safe.” And they walked a bit past the cabins and into the woods. It was so dark that David had to squint. There was another clearing where the moonlight shone and the lake flowed. He sat on the ground and patted the place next to him.

“I come here sometimes to clear my head.” He hummed.

“You come to a lot of places,” Daniel said.

He shrugged. “I like places with nice views. Or, I guess, surrounded by nature in general.” He smiled and nudged the co-counselor. “Okay, reveal to me your master plan.” His chipper mood should keep him interactive. When he’s silent and contemplating, he tends to overthink a lot.

The counselor cleared his throat. “I hope you don’t mind me... including someone else in this.” He said. David’s blood ran cold. 

“You told someone?” He asked accusingly.

“Jen. But!” Daniel raised his hands when David opened his mouth. “I didn’t tell her the entire story. I don’t have the right to. But she knows more about rituals than I do, and we’ll need her help.” David felt torn. So another person knew. He sighed and sat up straight. What’s done is done.

“And?”

“We’ll do it tonight.” Daniel grinned. He can’t believe what he’s hearing. He stared at him, waiting for the cruel _just kidding_ or _gee, I was messing with ya_. But he said none of it and David’s mouth dropped.

“Now?! Daniel, are you insane?!” He got on his feet.

“No, Davey, listen. The sooner we do this, the better. Jen has all the materials ready and we’ll just have to wait till midnight when everyone else is asleep. She’ll be waiting outside her cabin and you must lead us to the place where you last saw Jasper,” He stood with him and held his arms. His blue eyes stared into his own. A sense of calm spread through him just by being held by Daniel. “We’ll set up the ritual there. Everything will go according to plan, and I’ll be there every step of the way.” He smiled at him reassuringly.

“You said so yourself. Cameron Campbell knows me. It’s only a matter of time before we get kicked out. Listen, David, whatever happens tonight, I’ll keep you safe.” He lets the blonde envelope him in a warm hug. David wanted so bad to nuzzle his shoulder but his neckerchief got in the way. He settled for leaning his forehead on his shoulder.

“This is all so sudden,” came his muffled reply. “I’m not sure if I’m ready.” His voice hitched. He felt tears wanting to spill. All of his emotions got mixed up. It overwhelmed him and he didn’t know what feeling dominated more. Daniel’s eager attitude, Jen’s willingness to help, confronting his dark past, and finally releasing it. He let the tears flow. He felt Daniel brush his auburn locks in an attempt to soothe him.

“Shhhh, I know, I know. But we have to do it. I’ll be there to guide you and I won’t let you back out on me now. It’s now or never, David, and we’re finally fighting your demons back,” Daniel squirmed. “Err, I mean—“

“Oh hush, I know what you meant.” David cleared his throat and held on to him. He breathed in deeply, savouring the other’s musky scent, and exhaled. He’s put so much trust in Daniel that another emotion overcame the others. He trusts him not to mess up. He knows he won’t. The brunette pulled back bravely and looked at the cultist right in the eye.

“It’s now or never, right?”


	10. Hold me tight or don't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY hold on, before you go reading this, I just wanna clarify 2 things. One: This chapter is split into two since I realized it's too long for one mega chapter. And two: no more David POVs :((( It makes the angst realsies. This chapter begins in Daniel's POV. It's going to be a rough ride, folks. The next chapter will be up in a second.   
> Sorry for any typos or mistakes. I wrote this as soon as I got free time and finished homework.

The blonde counselor had to drop David off by his cabin for some time to prepare himself for the ritual. If he was being honest, Daniel felt like he was obligated to stay with him even though David insisted that he go back to the others. It was a weird feeling. Is that what friends feel for each other? No, it was something else. He felt the need to protect David and he was no fool to ignore their displays of affection.

My god, he was smitten.

As he approached the duo from the distance, he heard parts of their conversation. He decided to stay silent and hide in the darkness the mess hall provided.

“I mean like, we should all take a day off. Let the campers run free or let them sleep the whole day in. I should suggest that someday,” Gwen yawned. Jen patted her back.

“We should totes go swimming someday. I’ve been itching to take a dip in the water,” the girl in pink winked. Gwen smiled, and waved good night to her as she entered her cabin.

After a silent minute that seemed to clear the air of the atmosphere from the happy campfire, the reality of what’s going to happen settled on him. Daniel felt an emotional exhaustion from everything. He admits it had been a quick decision to initiate the ritual so early, but Jen was urging it. _The sooner the better_ , she ingrained into his head.

“I can see you, you know. How’s your little love bug?” Jen pivoted in her place towards the shadows where Daniel currently stood.

“He’s hanging in there,” he replied, stalking towards her. “It’s gonna take him a while to absorb the shock.”

“Make sure he gets over it faster,” she said without sympathy. “We’re going to bring him over to our side once this is all over.” Her eyes were set with determination. Jen, in general, looked dead tired. May it be from the campfire, or something else.

The cultist brings her hands up and holds it between them. This, of course, was a joke. He did it to spite her. That was evident when Jen looked at him in disgust. “Worry not, my little sister. After everything we helped him through, and knowing what he has done in desperate times, David won’t blink at the prospect of joining us.”

The other counselor removes her hands from his. “You make sure of that. That is our end goal, is it not?” She asked hesitantly.

Daniel chuckled. “I thought you wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. Make a grand exit with all the kids drowning in their own puddles of blood, or something along those lines.” The thought of Jen gutting the kids still made him uneasy. _It’s such a hassle_ , he whined in his head.

The girl dusted off her pink blouse, as if the mention of kids sullied her outfit. “Don’t think I’ve put that idea aside,” she said. “For now, we should focus on luring in David and showing him the benefits of joining us.” The urgency in her voice didn’t go unnoticed. Ever since Daniel mentioned David’s attempt at a ritual, Jen’s eyes held something like hope for the other man. He doesn’t know why she feels the way she does. It’s not something you see in Jen every day.

Something’s exciting her, and Daniel unfortunately doesn’t know what it is. He has to tread carefully around her.

“Is there a reason for this?” He asked. The girl has been pacing back and forth, muttering the procedure for the ritual to review herself. It also wasn’t a daily occurrence they’d summon a spirit from the dead. If anything, Daniel won’t be surprised if she screwed up and summoned a demon instead.

“For what?” she turned, like a deer caught in the headlights.

“This rush,” he spread his arms, indicating the recent events. Before he could get another word out, she was already making her way back to him.

“Daniel, in case you’ve forgotten, it’s been a month. The police are still out there. You aren’t cleared yet,” she spoke in a low voice. “You’re risking a lot to stay in one place. Hell, for all we know, you could be found in a few days from now.”

Jen had no clue how much her words weighed him down. He hasn’t told her that Cameron Campbell had come to visit David to warn him about a certain someone. The inevitability that he would be found and sent to jail soon set him on edge. He kept his mouth shut and watched with steely eyes as she rambled on.

“We’re trapping ourselves here, living out a fantasy we both know is bullshit. Once they find out who they’ve really hired, we’re not walking out here uncuffed.” She hissed. She walks closer to him, looks him deep in the eye.

“But you’re lucky, aren’t you? The man of your dreams has it in him to become one of us.” Something like jealousy laced her voice. “You get to bring back a little souvenir with you. Gwen’s a lost cause,” She stepped away from the cultist and sighed. The man’s blood boiled at her calling David a little _souvenir_ , as if he was nothing more than just that.

“We get David then we leave. An addition to our group is more than enough.” She said with finality.

“We can’t just leave. We leave no evidence behind.” Daniel spoke up. Hands crossed and chest heaving, he calculated how long it’ll take for him to explain all this to David­–and how long he’d agree to join them _. Assuming he joins... and what if he doesn’t?_ The little flaw in their plan has revealed itself.

“You think me foolish?” Jen scoffed. She inhales and clasps her hands together. “Daniel, we aren’t dumb to leave this place while every trace of us is scattered here. Our papers may have false information, sure, but what about security? Any record of us being here is an open wound waiting to get infected,” she said.

“A punch won’t do the trick anymore. We have no time to gather everyone out for a drinking fest.” She checks her phone for the time and curses. “Leave it to me. It’s time you see what I’m made of.” Daniel can’t see the expression on her face as she was already walking a couple paces away from him.

“Get David. I’ll go get the supplies and we meet up back here.” She walked back toward her cabin. So without any protest, Daniel obediently walked back the same way he came from. He entered the brunette’s cabin, seeing him sitting down on his bed. The camp counselor turns his head and his eyes widen. His yellow neckerchief is discarded as well as his vest. Judging from his damp auburn hair, he must’ve taken a bath.

He clears his throat. “Is it time?” He asks, uncertainty in his voice. Daniel holds a hand out for him to take it. Once his hand rests on his, Daniel pulls him up and looks him in his green eyes. God, their proximity was so close.

“Not if you don’t want it to be yet,” he teases and snakes his arms around the brunette’s waist. This elicits a warm blush on his face. Daniel smiles lovingly at him, fond of how the two of them could be so... touchy and be casual about it.

“What if I don’t want to go yet?” David looks at him from under his lashes. His arms are between them and he’s gripping his white shirt.

Daniel pretended to think for a moment. “We can tell Jen you had a breakdown and it took an abundance of encouraging words to pass through your barrier. That’s reasonable.”

The camp counselor looked at him dead serious and smacked his chest.  “I sort of _did_ have a breakdown okay?” David fidgeted, shuffling away from Daniel’s embrace. The blonde laughed. _Of course he would._

“It’s not funny!” David yelped. He sat on his bed and inhaled deeply. “I don’t know what to say to him. Or- or how I’ll initiate the conversation. I’m kind of freaking out. I’m seeing my dead friend after a couple of years!”

The white-clad man watched as the brunette had a small panic attack. He was wringing his hands and his leg was bouncing. Daniel brought a hand to his blonde hair and brushed it back. He’s gonna have a small pep talk and hopes Jen won’t mind them being a _bit_ late. He might as well put on his charms and introduce the idea of joining them.

* * *

 

 

**Jen**

_What in Satan’s name is taking them so long?_ She sat on a bench outside, near the mess hall as she waited for the two counselors to show up. Jen had a suspicion they were accompanying each other through... physical touch. After the obvious display of affection during the campfire, surely everyone knew something was fishy between the two. Who wouldn’t miss the way David inclined his head toward Daniel? Or the hand Daniel placed on his hip?

The campers noticed, and Jen saw them gape. _Guess they didn’t think their camp counselors would be gay_ , she hummed.

But it won’t matter. Their opinions won’t bother the two love birds anytime soon. This weird thought seemed oddly supportive of her. She subconsciously let her hand wander and rub the red pentagram on her wrist and she was reminded of the time they drew on the campers with sharpies. Gwen had a sweet little star on her shoulder and it made Jen smile.

For a while.

‘Cause happiness was only temporary. She crushed the memory like it was the baby bird in the forest this afternoon. She approached the crying little thing and watched it struggle to get up. The wailing got on her nerves so she squashed it with a heavy rock she found nearby.

Jen looked up when a movement caught her eye. Finally the cabin door opened and the two counselors were making their way to her. The brunette had red eyes and his fingers were fisting his green camp shirt. Her cultist friend supported David by putting a hand on his back. She got up from the bench and shouldered the duffel bag she brought with her. It was filled with supplies of all kind, from exorcism tools, to candles and burning sages. She also kept vials of different types of animal blood. It depends on the occasion.

“So, we’re doing it, huh?” David exhaled.

“Yep! No time to back out now. Lead the way, David.” Jen nodded toward the forest. But there was hesitation in him.

“The last time we went there, we kind of got lost?” He mumbled. “We kept walking in circles. Crossed a log. Walked some more. I can’t guarantee we’d get there by midnight,” David scratched the back of his head. “We also might get lost on the way. It’s farther than my...” he gulped, ending it there.

Jen spotted Daniel looking around. “Why don’t we tie a rope around a tree and let it guide us back? It’ll also help us tell whether or not we’re moving farther.”

“I think that’d be fine. Where are the ropes?” Jen asked.

“I think we have one inside the mess hall stashed somewhere,” David looked away. “I’ll go get it,” he separated from Daniel with reluctance and went to find the rope. Jen was getting impatient and gripped the handle of her duffel bag.

She noticed Daniel staring after the brunette. His usually cold blue eyes were warm and full of... something Jen couldn’t place her mind on. “You’ve changed,” she remarked.

“I hope it’s not in the bad way,” Daniel replied, looking back at her. “Don’t think this makes me any weaker than you.” He tilts his head.

“It doesn’t,” she lied. “It’s just a little flaw, is all.” She looked back at the mess hall, indicating that _David_ was that little flaw. Daniel understood it clearly and he looked pissed.

“He won’t change anything about me,” he hissed through clenched teeth. The brunette exited from the mess hall holding the rope in one hand and made his way toward them. Jen had a smile plastered on her face before David could reach them.

The trio trekked through the forest with the only source of light being David’s flashlight. After a considerable amount of time and looking around, David was certain they’ve arrived. The rope was in Jen’s hand and, giving it a good tug, knew they didn’t stray too far. She tossed the duffel bag to Daniel with efficiency and asked him to recheck the materials as she was finding something to tie the rope to. Jen settled for a low hanging branch so that they’ll still be able to feel it in the dark.

“Candles, matches...” Daniel was mumbling, taking out the materials one by one. Jen watched David shift uncomfortably in his place. Figuring she’d been a bit harsh earlier, she went up to him and placed a careful hand on his shoulder. David’s eyes found her in the dark. The glow from the flashlight illuminated only half their face.

“Everything’ll be okay. It’s not as bad as it looks,” she said, wondering if Daniel already persuaded him. For a second, a panicked look overwhelmed his features. Then David smiled weakly and nodded. Jen wonders if the idea of joining a cult frightened him.

“Do we really have to go through all this?” he asked meekly. “I mean, won’t an Ouija board work?” He chuckled nervously.

Daniel, who’s on the floor counting the candles and surrounded by vials of sorts, scoffed. “That’s a load of hooey. The Ouija board is too overrated and it’s nothing but a good prank to scare your friends.” Jen nodded in agreement.

“Or that prank where you stand in front of a mirror at night and chant _Bloody Mary_. Ugh, it makes me roll my eyes,” Jen laughed. Daniel joined in and so did David, with reluctance. She continued talking to the brunette to lighten his mood.

“Jen?” Daniel grabbed their attention. She made a sound of acknowledgment.

“Where’s the salt?” he looked up at her. She furrowed her eyebrows.

“It should be right there. It’s in a small container tucked in the left corner.” She approached the other and watched as Daniel looked through again and coming up with nothing.

“What’s wrong?” David asked from behind.

“It seems Jen has forgotten to bring salt.” Daniel deadpanned.

“Is it really that important?” David questioned. The blonde on the floor trained his eyes behind Jen. “Yes. It’s crucial to the ritual. It’ll help contain whatever spirit we contact inside this circle. It may also help protect Jasper for a while. Other lost souls will be clamoring to get free once they sense a gateway.” Then he sent a glare at Jen.

“Go retrieve it. I’ll set up the circle and the candles. Once we have the salt, we can light the candles and you can begin.” Jen nodded, sending an apologetic glance to both of them.

But as she turned away to grab the rope and feel her way back, a grin stretched across her face. _Ah yes, the container I purposely left on top of my bed. I’ll get it_ , she walked and walked, slowly becoming aware she hadn’t asked for the flashlight. The crunching of her footsteps echoed all around her. David and Daniel’s voices drifted off into the distance.

Then she was running on light feet. She had to get to camp quickly. _No time to waste. Tell him you ran out and restocked from the mess hall._ She nearly lost her footing but quickly regained her posture, holding onto the rope like a lifeline. In minutes, she ran into camp and was heading straight for her cabin. Not to grab the container of salt, but to grab two gasoline containers she hid under her bed.

She checked her phone. 10:50 PM. The kids should be sleeping. Gwen might still be awake. She had to do this stealthily and quickly.

* * *

 

 

**Daniel**

The blonde counselor wiped the sweat off his brow after forming a very delicate pentagram on the ground with the mixture of vials Jen supplied in her duffel bag. He painted on stones that he placed on each end of the pentagram and readied the candles, hoping it would not topple over. He held a box of matches in one hand, waiting for Jen's return.

It hadn't been quiet, and Daniel was thankful for David distracting him when the air got tense. He knew the other was thinking of everything that could go wrong in the process of the ritual. He could see the doubt in David's eyes. Daniel tried to reassure him but he knew it was futile. He and Jen were wrong about him. He didn't murder in cold blood, like they've done. He was a man who wanted to reconcile with an old friend.

That's why he didn't press on about the cult. In the cabin, he raised the question, since there was no harm in asking. He already got his answer before David could open his mouth. His eyes were fearful and untrusting. There was no hope or curiosity. He downright rejected the idea. And it pierced Daniel's heart. But seeing the horrified look on David's face made him change the topic. It wasn't something they both wanted to dwell on any longer.

Jen entered the clearing and was panting on her knees. Her arm was outstretched, giving Daniel the container.

“I’m sorry it took me forever! I actually ran out and went to borrow some from the mess hall. I can’t believe I—“

“Jen, it’s fine.” Daniel interrupted. “Next time, talk less. Do more,” he teased. Jen sent him a glare as he opened the container and sprinkled the salt around the pentagram, making sure the circle wasn’t broken. He stepped back to let Jen take the reins for what’s to come.

“You forgot something,” she said.

“Which is?” Daniel crossed his arms. He double-checked everything. Nothing was out of place.

“We need to spill the blood of a virgin,” she said with all seriousness. Daniel stared at her, a laugh making its way to his lips. All the more so when she looked at both men and said “a child would be the perfect candidate.”

“What? No!” David cut her off. Soon the two cultists were laughing and the scandalized look on David’s face calmed Daniel down.

“I’m sorry, I just couldn’t pass up an opportunity like that,” Jen wiped an invisible tear off her face. Daniel felt like he had to give her a high-five, but that was something uncommon between them. So he smirked instead.

“But seriously, we need your palm, David. A drop of your blood. This’ll tether Jasper’s soul to you and he’ll find you faster than the other lost souls.” Jen said.

David offered up his hand and Daniel offered to cut it for him. He brought out the familiar dagger and he saw the brunette tense. He massaged his palm and urged him to calm down. He sliced quickly and didn’t cut any deeper. He held his hand above the pentagram and waited till the blood dripped. He stepped back and Jen began to mutter phrases he partially knew. With the match in his hand, he struck the box and lighted the first candle.

Daniel waited for Jen’s cues and lighted the next, and the next, until all candles were lit. The wind seemed oddly calm and the forest was quiet. It was just Jen’s incomprehensible voice and David’s harsh breathing. For a second, nothing happened. Jen paused, then repeated the last phrase. Nothing.

Then a scream tore out of David and Daniel was immediately at his side. The brunette staggered and fell on his knees. He was holding his chest like it hurt him; like something was tearing out of it. Suddenly it wasn’t just David’s scream he was hearing. There seemed to be simultaneous wails coming from the pentagram.

“Hold on, David.” He tried to hold his hand.

The voices were a mix of tortured voices. Some high, some scratchy, some spine-chilling. A voice overcame the rest and soon, the voices receded. It sounded like a little boy. Jen staggered back when the pentagram glowed bright. There was no corporeal being, but they all felt the presence. The atmosphere dropped and Daniel knew they were not alone.

“Jasper?” David asked quietly. There was silence. Then... a  whisper.

“Davey, is that you?” David wept, crawling forward. The counselor pulled him back when he almost crossed the salt barrier.

“Jasper, I’ve... I’ve no idea what to say. Every day of my waking life, the thought of that day haunts me,” he sobbed. “I never meant to...”

There was a hushed sigh. “Davey, you’ve kept me in the dark.” Jasper said.

The brunette in his arms was losing it. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t- I never wanted for things to happen the way it did,” he was shaking. “I was an asshole! I was too slow. I couldn’t reach you in time-“

“Shhh...” the air seemed to come back and rushed past them. The momentary curse almost shocked Daniel. “No, Davey. I mean, all these years, I’ve been in this cold, dark place,” Jasper said. “I... couldn’t move on.” David’s tears started to flow more.

“But I’ve already forgiven you, friend.” Jasper’s voice lilted in a friendly manner.

“W-what?”

“The only thing tying me down here is you, David.” Jasper’s voice sounded a lot closer to them now. Almost like he was all around them. “I’ve forgiven you. It’s about time you forgive yourself too,” the wind picked up.

“How... how could I?” David sat back on his heels. “How could you?” He asked brokenly.

“I don’t hold grudges, Davey. You should know that more than anyone! It was an unfortunate accident and it was partially my fault for not looking where I was going,” David was shaking his head in disagreement.

“I don’t blame you. But you’re blaming yourself. Your anguish is what keeps me here,” the pentagram glowed and a gasp emitted from Jasper.

“Fighting... for control. Others... found us,” Jen gritted through her teeth. Daniel only then noticed her disarray. She was keeping it together, just so David could reconcile. She’s risking a lot for this reunion to happen. It’s taking a toll on her and Daniel could see it. Newfound respect for her wormed its way into Daniel’s head.

“Please set me free, David. You have to forgive yourself.” Jasper said. The brunette was shaking and his eyes were darted frantically around the circle as if he could find Jasper.

“But...

“I have to go. Your friend’s suffering to keep us connected. I don’t want anyone else to hurt anymore,” his voice started to fade. The wind started to pick up again, rushing all around them. It whipped Daniel’s hair back as the gateway began to close.

“Jasper, I’m sorry!” David yelled out.

“I know, Davey. I forgive you,” came his last reply as the connection broke. Jen tumbled back as the wind blew out all the candles. Daniel can feel the counselor’s uneven breathing and hugged him to calm the other. David held onto his arms for support as tears rolled down and grief wracked his body.

The ritual was finished. David was in one piece. And that was all that mattered.

 


	11. The distance between us, it sharpens me like a knife

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit. This is it. The end. The finale. I... I've no words to say except thank you for taking the time to read this fic. I know I kinda fucked up a bit in the first few chapters. It wasn't that interesting and had no idea what my end goal was. I've also been distracted lately by other fandoms (*cough* Be More Chill and Hamilton *cough*)  
> In the end, I figured, you know what? Not all stories have happy endings. This is what I settled on. I bid you all a safe reading~ Till next time, perhaps?

The darkness was blinding. The moon was present, but it didn’t provide enough light for them to see. The cultist remembered Jen being blasted back from the force and turned his head in the darkness.

“Jen? Are you okay?” He was actually concerned for her. A groan answered back.

Hands gripped his arm and he turned back to David. He mumbled incoherently and Daniel calmly rubbed circled on his waist.

“So, now that that’s done,” Jen’s voice interrupted them. He heard a rustling and figured Jen was standing by now. “Shall we proceed to more dire matters?” She was taking a nudge at David. She hasn’t given him time to recover and she’s already asking him to join them.

“Jen, I don’t think now’s the appropriate time,” Daniel sighed. David tensed in his grip.

“Why not? We’ve helped him. He got what he wanted,” her footsteps neared them and Daniel involuntarily moved back, bringing David with him. She paused in her tracks. “David, have you made up your mind?” She asked him.

“Made up my mind?” his voice cracked. The poor thing, Daniel bit his lip and felt torn between wanting to comfort the male and shooing Jen away.

“Yeah,” she said slowly. “You know, since you’ve seen what we can do. You’ve tried to initiate it yourself, but you just didn’t have the right sources,” her voice sounded pitying, but Daniel knew she was mocking him. The counselor in his embrace backed up into his chest.

“Jen, seriously, this is not the time. He’s not... like us. David will never see justice in what we do. And I think that’s okay,” he muttered the last part. In truth, he was giddy with the idea of converting David. He could teach him their ways and spend their free time talking about the history of Zeemog and all the Ancient ones. He’s got it all planned out in his head.

But alas, Daniel learned to let it go before the ritual even started. David is and never will be part of them. It hurt the hell out of him. He didn’t want to leave camp without him. It was the harsh truth and it slapped Daniel in the face.

“What did you say?” Jen asked coldly. Then she laughed, a horrible high-pitched sound that didn’t sit right with the cultist.

“Daniel, he’ll join you if you just force him to!” seemingly forgotten that David was right there, her cold words pierced through the counselor. He flinched and Daniel found his hand in the darkness. It was still damp with what he presumed was blood. He interlaced their fingers, silently communicating that he would never force him into doing something he doesn’t want. David was shocked into silence.

“He’s got the potential. We’ll swerve it in the right path. All he needs is you,” the crunching of her footsteps confused him. She was either backing away or coming toward them. Instinctively, he felt for the dagger he kept on his person and drew it.

“I know what he needs, Jen. This is not it,” he reluctantly let go of David and stood. When he drew himself up to his full height, dagger at his side, he felt a rush of air hit him in the face. And he knew she was standing right in front of him.

“David may have the potential, but I know he’ll never have it in him to kill others.” He said with finality. “We’re not having an addition to the group.”

“And what do you propose we do?” Jen snarled in his face.

Daniel was quiet. He hasn’t planned anything past his visions of having David by his side. He... did not want to leave without him. Did not want to leave his side. But he knew leaving was inevitable and David refused to join their cult. His silence was enough for her. She backed away. His eyes have adjusted in the dark and he’s now looking at a girl who looked ready to murder.

“You converted me, you enlightened me, then you belittled me and you threw me away like I was a scrap of paper into the flames!” Jen’s voice cracked. “If there’s anything I learned from your hypocritical ass, it’s to never back down. If we see a potential member, we force them in. We expand, we grow; we do not diminish. You thought I didn’t have it in me?” She scoffed.

“David is weak. If you insist he won’t join us then by all means, end his suffering.” Was she suggesting what he thought she was implying? His face contorted in rage. “The Ancient ones would never accept someone as fragile as him anyway. The world is better off without weaklings,” she said in disgust.

“Jen, I suggest you back the fuck away. Now. Before I lodge this knife where it rightfully belongs,” he growled.

He was ready for a fight if it came to that. Her blue eyes pierced his identical ones, waiting for the prey—the hunter to make a move. He looked away when David started hyperventilating. A wrong move on his part, but the other cultist hasn’t made her move to attack. Right now, he couldn’t care more about Jen. With one final look in her way, he bent down and scooped the brunette into his arms. He was not leaving him.

* * *

 

 

**Jen**

As Daniel comforted the brunette, Jen slipped away into the darkness. The moon was now high up in the sky and the only source of light came from filtered moonlight. She walked back and found the rope lying on the ground. Must’ve been blown off the branch. Looking over her shoulder, the other cultist was preoccupied. Hah, who would’ve thought she emerged as the stronger one? She snatched up the rope and discreetly headed back to camp, pulling the rope with her.

“Good luck finding your way back to camp,” she muttered under her breath, anger seeping into her words. She exhaled loudly. _If there’s anything left to come back to._

There’s one more thing she did in advance to secure their plan. She hasn’t told Daniel and planned to surprise him. It was to show him how she’ve upped her game more than his. David or no, their plan will go on.

So she doused the camp in gasoline. Only in places that won’t completely attract the campers attention. Estimated, they should be in deep sleep by now. The smell won’t hit them lest they woke up at late hours at night and sniffed real hard. The mess hall too was doused. Only Gwen remained, and she has to get her out of her cabin before she burned those down too.

She tugged on the rope and smirked when the other end pulled taut. She neared the camp and as she saw the clearing, she dropped the rope. _Time to get to work_.

. . . . .

She knocked three times before the door opened. Gwen had a look of annoyance that disappeared when she saw who was behind the door. “Jen! What’re you doing up so late? Um, I guess you’re wondering the same thing too, huh.” She left the door and had turned her back. “I was just watching this super cool show...”

She trusted her so easily that it almost softened her heart. _Almost_. But not quite as much as David had done with Daniel. _That boy claims he’s got an ice cold heart_. She entered and left the door ajar. _But ice can melt when exposed to warmth_. She gripped the cloth in her hand dampened with a few drops of chloroform, just enough to make her unconscious, but not too much to kill her. _That’s why mine is made of stone. Even after breaking it, you still have all the little bits. Broken and hard, but still damn solid_.

She reached around the other girl just as she was going on about the stupid show on the screen. She held it securely under her nostrils and wound her arm around her. It took Gwen longer than a second to realize what’s happening. By the time she had tried to put up a fight, the chloroform had started to take effect.

“It’s okay, Gwen. Relax. There’s no need to fight it.” She brushed her nose against her soft cheek and whispered into her ear. But Gwen had now been lulled to sleep before she could hear the end of it. She dragged her outside where she left the rope and bound her to a nearby tree. She can’t have her interfering in her plans.

She patted her pocket once to double check if the box of matches still sat securely with her. Satisfied, she stalked towards the tents. There was still some spare rope.

. . . . .

Jen couldn’t resist torturing them first. Seeing them burn from their tents was a compelling thought. But inflicting harm on them physically, now that set her on fire. That’s why instead of striking a match, she pulled the campers out of their tents and bound them together with rope. Some were still miraculously asleep and some had already woken, panic in their eyes and squirming like helpless fishes out of the water. She gagged them to make sure they kept silent and attracted no attention.

But who was she kidding? Gwen was bound up, Daniel and David were deep in the forest, and like _hell_ Cameron Campbell will come back. She was twirling her own dagger, examining those in her line of sight.

“Why are you doing this?!” a girl yelped. Jen turned quickly to locate the source of the voice. The girl with green hair had chewed her way through the gag and it now hung loosely around her neck. Jen suppressed her disgust.

“Because, little ignorant children,” she spread her arms. “I hate each and every one of you.” Her fake smile put them on edge. She delighted in their fear.

She expected a small, angry voice to yell at her too. Ah, the one she hated the most. He’s been getting on her nerves for the past month and she could not wait to get her hands on—w _ho was that kid?_ Her eyes roamed the bunch of them. Something was wrong. _The one in the blue sweater_. She circled them, mentally counting and listing off their names. _Max_. He wasn’t with them.

* * *

 

 

**Daniel**

For the most part, he’s being a great friend and succeeded in calming David down. He’d gone and wiped the tears off his face and held his hand, something a lover would do in this situation. But David had none of that and only had the company of Daniel. Who didn’t think twice before reaching forward to wrap him in a comforting hug.

“I don’t know which to be scared of more,” David said from beneath him. He stroked his dark hair and revelled in his scent. Very inappropriate timing, Daniel.

“Don’t worry, David. I’ll make sure Jen doesn’t lay a hand on you,” and he spoke the truth. If she ever planned to physically harm him, she’ll have to go through a very furious Daniel to get to him.

“But will she on you?” David looked up. “I don’t want her trying to... kill you.” He gulped audibly.

“Me?” Daniel choked back a bitter laugh. “She could never beat me.” But he saw the hesitation in David’s eyes. It was there for a moment then it cleared, paving way for hope and relief.

“I’ll keep you safe from the big, bad bully.” Daniel teased, trying to lighten the mood. This sparked a laugh out of the brunette. This was good. Laughs are good. Then he bent down and connected their foreheads. “She’ll never make it past me to get to you,” he said, looking deep into his green eyes.

A moment of silence passed. He was aware of the blush on the other’s face. He knew by now his face was reacting the same way. David nodded and smiled at him like he’s all that mattered.

And god, did it break his heart to know he’ll eventually leave him.

“David!” Their moment was broken when they heard a voice from afar. They separated and stood up.

“Is that Max?” David asked. His name was called out again, this time nearer.

“Max!” David followed. Daniel had no choice but to follow as well.

The closer the voice got, the louder the rustling became. David got knocked back when Max finally found them. It was a sight he thought he’d never see. Max was hugging his knees and David was shocked by it too.

“Is anything wrong?”

“Jen! Crazy cultist. Kidnapped. Rope. Escaped!” He said in panic.

“Whoa, slow down!” David bent down and grabbed him by the shoulders. “Jen?” He echoed, all emotion draining from his face. Max looks past David’s shoulder and glares at Daniel.

“You fucker! You’re in on this, aren’t you?! You lured David all the way out here to let Jen do the filthy work for you!” He barged past David but before he could land a punch, David had pulled him back by his sweater.

“No, he’s not.” He said guiltily. Max sputtered indignantly. “There’s no time to explain. We should head back,” David looked at Daniel. He can’t tell if he was suspicious of him or if he relied on his help. But he nodded and soon, they were running through the forest. Jen had taken the rope, so they relied on David.

In the distance, Daniel could hear Nikki’s voice crying for help. David noticed too, stopping momentarily before running with vigorous speed.  They  reached the end of the forest and was surprised to see all the campers piled up in one spot. Max had slipped away. That worried Daniel a bit, but what worried him more is Jen holding a dagger to one of the kids’ throat.

“Please, don’t!” David cried. Jen’s head swivelled in their direction.

“Took you long enough,” she sneered. With watchful eyes, she hid her dagger. Brought out a matchbox.

 _Wait a minute_. That’s when the smell hit Daniel. Gas. “She doused the camp in gasoline,” his eyes widened. Before he or David could do anything, she struck the match and let it drop to the floor. In seconds, the flame engulfs a trail on the ground. It reaches the mess hall first, then the tables and chairs. They watched in mute horror as the trail raced to the tents. It burned it in minutes, leaving nothing but coal-black remains. The whole camp was bathed in orange light as the fire roared.

David staggered back, hand on his mouth as he watched everything unfold before him. Daniel can’t possibly imagine what this is doing to him. The heat engulfed them and sweat ran in rivulets down his face. It was literal hell.

“What have you done?” Daniel turned to her. But Jen seemed to be out of it. She watched the flames like it was a beautiful firework display. Her head twitched when she heard his voice.

“Doing what we should’ve done weeks ago,” she said.

There was nothing he could do. Daniel was helpless. He couldn’t stop a fire that already spread throughout half the camp. The kids were crying, Jen was laughing, the fire was getting bigger. He turned to David who became a puddle of mess. And Max, where the hell was he?

“You see, Daniel. We were meant to burn this place all along.” She walked like there was confidence in each of her step. “They weren’t meant to get poisoned,” she said it like the idea was now a joke. Despite everything, Daniel felt insulted.

“Why help them ascend when you can drag them down to hell?” She smiled maniacally. This was not the purpose of their cult. They killed to sacrifice, not for their own entertainment.

“You’ve got it all wrong,” Daniel glared at her. The noise of everything came crashing down on him. The deafening roar as the fire broke wood and the agonizing cries of the children. He wanted to block out the sounds. Something stood out from all the tragedy. Police sirens. Jen still hasn’t noticed as she was busy brandishing her dagger and roaming the pile of kids in front of them.

“Daniel!” he turned to find Max running up to them. Behind him, Gwen staggered. She was holding a phone to her ear. He couldn’t hear her words but her lips were moving. David was on the floor. Max reached him first and pulled him up.

“Gwen called the police,” Max eyed Daniel suspiciously but didn’t protest when he helped him pull their camp counselor up. “My god, she’s about to kill Space Kid!” Max yelled, pointing at the scene.

Daniel looked back just in time to see her snatch Space Kid’s helmet off. That’s it, she’s going way too far.

“Jen, this won’t please the Gods. This won’t please anyone but you. You better step the _fuck_ down!” She heard him, gave him a sweet smile, and continued wrenching the helmet off the poor kid. He began to walk towards them, but the police sirens finally penetrated the air. Jen dropped the helmet. Daniel paused in his tracks.

This wasn’t good. But it’s the only way to save Camp Campbell. He looks over his shoulder and sees the counselor on his feet and running towards Daniel. The only way to save David.

“Daniel, the cops are coming,” his eyes darted around nervously. He knew what it meant for him. Jail. Probably a lifetime. “You have to hide.” David was already tugging on his arm, urging him to move. And his feet carried them away. They ran to the edge of the camp where the fire still hasn’t spread and the cultist saw a blur of pink hot on their trail.

David’s hand wound up around his and he stopped. He could hear the sirens coming closer by the minute. Every molecule in his body was telling him to _run, run, run_. Run as far away from here. But he wouldn’t. David still held his hand and Daniel... did not want to let go.

“Go,” David’s voice cracked. It was unmistakeable. He didn’t want him to go either. Neither moved to break their hold.

“You’ll be alright without me?” Daniel asked, a small smile on his lips. He wanted to savor the moment. Behind him, he saw Gwen untying the kids and Max watching them. He didn’t care what they thought right now.

“No,” came David’s surprising reply. His eyes took in the other’s face and David returned the gesture. “As selfish as it is, I don’t want you to go,” his green eyes watered and he forced them shut. “Gosh, I wish things were different.” David stepped closer to him.

Their time was running out. Jen was in their vicinity and Daniel saw her watch them, amusement in her eyes. He too did not have time to tell her off. “I wish so too,” he felt his eyes burn and he realized he was crying too. Everything was happening so fast.

"You'll come back for me, won't you?" David says, finally letting go. But Daniel was quick to grab onto his wrists. He refuses to let go just yet.

"I promise I'll look for you. I'll find you, wherever you go." Promises aren’t meant to be kept. But the words flowed out of his mouth, desperate for some sort of connection to him; something that’ll tether him to David, even something as petty as a promise.

"Don't go too far." David sniffed, tears rolling down freely. The police sirens were loud and clear. It was now or never.

“Daniel, as much as I hate you, we’re both screwed the longer we stay here,” Jen said from afar. He ignored her. He didn’t want to dwell on the thought of why she was still around.

"I'll find a way for both of us. Are you sure you don't want to come with us? With me?" Daniel tried again, hoping just maybe... maybe David would change his mind at the last minute. Just to be with him.

David looks back at Gwen and the kids, then shakes his head. "I can't leave them. These are my people." David brings a hand up to caress his face. Turns out he was wiping a tear away. "But you’re more than just a somebody, Daniel. Gosh, you’re the entire world. I’d follow you anywhere if I could,” his hands were slipping from his grip. Daniel started to feel a new kind of panic. It seized his heart and suddenly, David was the only thing that mattered.

“I'm sorry, Daniel." He was weeping. His fists were clenched tightly. Daniel did not hesitate to lean in and brush his lips against his. He poured out all of his emotions in that very second, wanting every bit of it to never end. He cried shamelessly, knowing it was the first and maybe the last.

"I swear I'll come back for you." His forehead connected with David’s as looked at the brunette deep in the eye. Their cheeks were stained wet and their mouths still longed to find the other’s. He retreated and started backing away. He took a final look then turned his back on the man he loves.

"You better swear your fucking life on it!" He hears David shout after him. He ran as fast as he can into the woods. Jen was a few paces ahead, blonde hair flying askew in the wind. He will never understand her. He’ll never know why even now, she stuck around.

He will never know if there’s still a future for him and David, but he’s willing to try and make sure there is. He's dead set on it.


End file.
